The Emotive Iris
by RoseOfPhantom
Summary: Kairi Hoshino has an interesting quirk - emotional projection. When her quirk makes class difficult, she is transferred to class 2-A in the hope that their promise of excellence and history of teamwork will be beneficial to here, and help her to finally control her quirk, makes friends, and finally fine a place where she fits in. Todoroki X OC
1. Prologue

**Hello! Thank you for taking a chance to check out my fic! If you don't care to read this note, by all means skip and read on!**

**If you're still reading, then I would like to say a few things about the creation of this fic as I know there are going to be a few questions.**

**1) For starters, I don't read the manga. I usually don't read manga as for some reason I enjoy the emotional turmoil of watching the anime over reading it. It seems to effect me on a more emotional level than reading it. So this story is only going to be using the anime.**

**2) I am current on the show and watching season 4 in the sub, however I am more of a casual watcher so watching in dub is easier if the dub is available. So this fic is going to be using the dub, I apologize if this bothers you. (You don't have to read my fic, I promise I won't be mad :D)**

**3) I started writing ideas down for this fic before season 4 started, so basically anything that happens after season 3 doesn't really get discussed or mentioned, hence why I am calling this canon divergent. By this point, I am saying the League of Villains has been eliminated and anything that happened in the manga after where Season 3 ended, well, I don't really know that it happened so it probably won't get mentioned.**

**4) In my research, I have made aware of the possible similarities my OC may have with some characters (when I started this, I didn't know anything about Shinso) as well as some arcs that may be occurring later that are similar to what I am writing (that I only have the barest minimum knowledge about to avoid major spoilers). Once again, I came up with these without any knowledge that something similar may happen later, so please bear that in mind as well.**

**5) This fic takes place in the second year of school, hence why they are in class 2-A and not 1-A**

**What Inspired this Fic:**

**My friend (Hi IdrilPuck if you're reading this!) introduced My Hero Academia to me near the beginning of the summer (It's possible it was before that?) and it wasn't something I jumped into. In fact, it was VERY slow and I don't think I really got into it until mid season 2. Anyway, I'm not sure what season we were in, but it was after I started to get into it that I began to ask questions and my mind began to race. I wondered about mental quirks and how that could affect people, and she vaguely said something about it but not too much to avoid spoilers, and somehow I just had this thought; I have some intense anxiety and am pretty empathetic and sometimes other people's anxiety makes it anxious. Sometimes their joy spills over to me, sometimes when people are freaked out, I get freaked out. And then my brain kept going - what would it be like in the BnHA universe if someone had something like this as a quirk? Something that made other people feel the way they felt? Would that make them feel like a hero or villain? I also asked her about the potential psychological issues that could come from becoming a hero and the quirks (at this point I hadn't seen the end of Season 3 and I was very very happy when I did!) So I basically began to connect the dots between all of these and kept thinking: Someone with an emotional projecting quirk, how would that make them feel? How would they feel knowing their sadness makes others sad? How would they feel if they were happy but truly believed the other person wasn't actually happy, and only felt happy because they were? If this person were a good person, would they believe these feelings to untrue? Would they feel guilty for making someone sad, angry, jealous? Would they isolate themselves? What if they couldn't control it? Even worse, how would this effect them when they fell in love with someone and perhaps that person felt "in love" with them too, but they never knew if it was real love or just overspill from their quirk?**

**Anyway, my brain kept going, I've been drafting, and I got notes for DAAAAYYYS friends! And this story is the result of all that brainwork! So I hope you enjoy it!**

***I also am still very new to being a BnHA fan and may not have details correct/may not get voices down very well. But I am really trying and am researching so please be kind!**

****rated M just in case but probably is more T  
**

* * *

The hallway stretched far and continued to grow with each step Kairi took. The floor shuddered under each step, the vibrations shooting up through her leg. Her father's hand tensed in hers, feeling the tightness of anxiety that was restricting through her. He forced a smile but she couldn't feel comforted by it. Instead, guilt pulsed through her, flipping sickness in her stomach. He was nervous too, but only because she was. He often tried to speak words of support to her in times like this, but it was always a struggle for him when he could never not feel what she was feeling. It was easiest to talk to him on the phone when they were some distance away. This was not a situation that could be resolved by distance, however. After a week of mandated vacation, as the school had called it, Kairi was called back in to speak with UA's principal, Nezu. She swallowed as her father finally led her to the end of the hall and reached the door. He looked to her with a question in his eyes. Kairi breathed, feeling him stiffen. Then she nodded, and he lightly tapped against the glass.

"Come in!" piped a chipper voice. Kairi shut her eyes tightly before she took her trembling fingers and opened the door before her. The humanoid... creature? Mouse? Bear? It was never really clear what he was, but he blinked appreciatively from behind his desk. A steaming hot teacup sat in front of him, and the matching teapot within an arm's reach from him. A couple more teacups sat on the desk, before the chairs that awaited them. The mouse principal sipped and still held his smile. Along the wall rested a man, clad in dark clothing with scraggly hair hanging over his face. The bottom portion of his face was also shrouded by a coil of fabricated restraints, similar to a scarf. Kairi tightened again, but her father urged her forward. The young girl took a spot before the desk.

Principal Nezu reached to pour a cup of tea and held it out to her. She hesitated before taking it, and her father shook his head. Nezu set aside the cup before clasping his pawed hands and beaming at them. Kairi cocked her brow, confused at his demeanor. He should be feeling the same intensity of her anxiety as she was.

"Now, to the first order of business!" he declared happily. Kairi turned from the principal's gleeful attitude and looked to her father. He was frowning, but it seemed to be more from confusion. "Let me first start this meeting by saying you are not in trouble, Miss Hoshino. Far from it, in fact. We do not discipline students for things they cannot control."

"I… I don't understand…" she mumbled, her mind blurring with a fog. It had felt that way, after being told she had to stay home for awhile as the school discussed her situation. Then she was asked to come into UA and have a meeting with the principal after school hours. But beyond that, her father appeared to relax and the principal didn't seem to waver from his cheer. She looked over to the man at the wall… she had seen him around the school before, a teacher. 2-A's teacher if she recalled. Though he hadn't often shown himself on TV when they were getting a lot of press. Aizawa, she thought. What was his business in this meeting? How was he being so calm when she was in the room, and shaking?

"Of course you don't!" said Nezu, before sipping tea. "I suppose the way the school has been acting has made you feel you are in trouble, but it is in fact the opposite. We are merely concerned for you and were searching for the best option for you. We believe we have found that for you. I will start with this: you will still remain fully enrolled at UA!" Her chest rose, energy bursting through. Kairi's amber eyes popped. "As you know, your teacher felt he no longer had any options to keep you in class. Your quirk was becoming something of a… disruption among your peers."

"I am aware of what my quirk does," Kairi sighed, sadness bringing her back down. There was never a need to remind her. She had long been second guessing if she was even hero worthy because of it.

"Yes, well we had a meeting and we reached a decision. It is unfair, and immoral even, to expel a student because they are still struggling to control their quirk. Especially when it is someone like you who has shown such promise and excelled in their studies and intellect."

"But I am still short of the hero aspects of things." Nezu twiddled a pen between his stubby little mouse fingers. His smile remained, though it shrunk to a more sympathetic concern.

"That may be, but we all have reviewed footage. You could be great, a fantastic hero even! Once you get a hold of your emotional control and can manage your quirk a little easier. It will take a little more work, that's all. For that to happen, you need to be in a strong class, a class that's faced dangers and difficulties of all kinds. In addition, one that is strong in their bonds and being able to work together," Nezu looked over to Aizawa, eyes glinting. Kairi looked backed over at him and swallowed harshly. It wasn't possible he meant… did he? How? She didn't even come close to their abilities. She was from class 2-C. While getting admitted to UA should be exceptional itself, she was far from the strongest and best in class. Her neck stiffened as she looked back at Nezu, who was already nodding his response to her.

"Excuse me but you can't seriously be considering…"

"Indeed we have!" he declared proudly. "It is already done."

"This has to be a mistake…" Kairi moaned, already imagining the kinds of disaster she could cause in that class. She couldn't remember the names of the students beyond a few but she remembered there were a couple that were a bit unpredictable with their emotions. With her and her quirk in the mix, it could be dangerous.

"No mistake at all! You are a good student when it comes to bookwork, focus, and paying attention in class. You understand what a hero is and what it means. You have the knowledge that exceeds what is necessary to be in that class. However, you are lacking in the physical skills."

"Which is why I don't belong. Also, forgive me, Principal Nezu, why are you not nervous and irritated?"

"Ah, yes! That brings me to my next point! You remember Mr. Aizawa, it seems? Do you also remember his quirk?"

"Ahhh…." Kairi stammered, looking to him as if he would give her a hint. He shook his head, knowing full well she hadn't. Kairi twiddled her thumbs and leaned back into her seat. She gnawed at the inside of her cheek as color flourished in her face.

"He erases quirks of those who are within his field of vision!" Nezu announced, clapping his paws together. Kairi whipped her head back around, her wide eyes begging for him to explain. "Not only is he to be your teacher, but I thought it also important he be here for this meeting. He can erase your quirk for a short time in this setting making it easier for us to talk without your emotions affecting the conversation." Any other person, student, whoever they were would likely be upset by the discussion of her emotions upsetting the whole room, leaving the others blameless. Even moreso since she was female and emotional females got blamed for many blameless things. In this instance however, it was completely correct. It was her quirk.

"So… Dad?" she asked, turning to him. He grinned and chuckled.

"Sweetheart, I am perfectly calm, even though I can see you are tense." She indeed was, her knuckles white from her grip on the chair. She looked back to see Nezu still smiling. Her lids lined with moisture as she relaxed into her seat. Her anxiety fell away, leaving her muscles sore. But it was good to know for once she could talk and feel freely without everyone else feeling what she felt. In this one instance at least.

"Class 2-A is more than capable of having the abilities to help and guide you in your path in becoming a hero. It's true there is some catching up you will be having to do, but Mr. Aizawa and the other teachers have promised to work out a lesson plan for you to learn. Not just with the other teachers, but the students as well."

"I will inform the students of your quirk so they know what to expect," Aizawa finally said. "However, you will need to work hard and put in the effort to catch up. In addition, it is vitally important you continue to seek medical help to gain control of quirk." She tensed up again, recognizing the words she had heard so often from her parents, professionals, students, she recoiled back in her chair and hugged herself.

"I… I know," she whispered.

"No," Aizawa said, making her look back up at him. "You misunderstand. I never said to control your emotions, though some of that is important to make decisions in the heat of battle. It seems as if it is a cycle. Your emotions are tied to your quirk and when you know your quirk is being used, you become more emotional. Your quirk causes your emotions to go into overdrive. If you can simply control your quirk, there is no need to control your emotions more than anyone else needs to." Her shoulders lightened again as her arms dropped. She had never heard the wording like that before. It always came down to controlling her emotions before. Of course, she knew half the time those words were uttered in states of emotional stress themselves, thanks to her quirk. It didn't make it hurt any less. And how was controlling her quirk going to be easier than controlling her emotions.

"We believe part of the reason your teachers have struggled to teach you heroic abilities properly is due to the struggle against their quirk. Since Mr. Aizawa can erase your quirk in class, it could benefit you and the class. However, please remember he can only do this in the most dire of situations. If there should be anything that arises in class, Mr. Aizawa has graciously agreed to erase your quirk _if _and only if, the issue is so tense you need someone to intervene. But please remember this is going to be a rare occurrence as you are expected to learn how to control your quirk, and the usage of his own is quite exhausting." Nezu declared brightly, sipping as his tea.

"In the classroom, and when we are giving instruction, that is. When we are teaching out on the field, we expect you to relay on your quirk. You need to learn to control it in the field. We have counselors on campus who are bit more trained in the quirks combined with heroic abilities," Aizawa continued to explain calmly. "We expect they will be better than the previous counselors. Your quirk only works if you are physically in the room with them, correct?"

"Yes," Kairi said, folding her hands.

"Then we will begin construction on a new room. Two, technically, but split down the middle with a large pane of glass. We will attach a phone system so you can still talk to each other, and the glass will still help you to communicate via your facial expressions and body language and help build that relationship." Kairi's face dropped with her gut. Horror struck over her face as the image his words formed made her think of how she was being treated.

"Like visiting hours in a prison."

"Of course not," Nezu said with a shake of his head. "The rooms will be very comfortable and feel like one room. The only difference will be the pane of glass and the phone." A sinking thought tightened in the back of Kairi's brain. She burst out the thought before she could consider if it was even worth speaking.

"What if I can't control it?" Nezu grinned and finished his tea.

"Then we simply keep trying."

A warmth rose in Kairi, light and soothing. For the first time in a long while she felt a spirit of gladness growing in her. She knew that she was only being transferred because no one could handle her in her previous class. However, it made it easier knowing the school genuinely wanted her to excel and her teachers wanted to help her along as much as they could. Her eyes dotted with her thankfulness and a sliver found her lips. Her father grinned wide, seeing his daughter's happiness.

"Do we have an agreement then?" Nezu asked. Kairi looked to her father, glowing with pride.

"Yes! As long as Kairi wants it, we have an agreement," he said.

"I do! Thank you, Mr. Nezu. Thank you, Mr. Aizawa! I promise I will work my hardest!"

"Fantastic!" said Nezu. "You have the weekend to move your stuff into the new 2-A Alliance Dorm!"

"I guess I should find Iida then," Aizawa said, moving from the wall. "I should inform him we have a new student joining the class so he can inform everyone else." As he retreated from the room, he blinked a couple of times before fishing a small bottle out of a nearby pocket. His presence was no longer necessary in the room. Kairi was bubbling with joy, and the joy spilled over to everyone else when he left the room. She hung onto her father's hand and the two of them cackled and chuckled as they ran out of the office. This was the part of her quirk she liked – when her joy was so great, it spread to others. Making them feel the infectious bubble laughs and filling them happiness


	2. Alliances

His name was Tenya Iida, and he had been all too willing to help Mr. Hoshino and Kairi carry her belongings to her dorm. He had briefly informed the other students that were getting a new student before she arrived, but he had not told them as much. Aizawa was there, of course. She had requested he be there as her anxiety spiked and crinkled her, nervous she may combust and his quirk was needed. He agreed, but hung out as far away as he possibly could be where she was still assured by his presence. Iida helped her father move pieces of furniture and a few other students jumped at the opportunity.

"Your name's Kairi, huh?" asked a girl with wide eyes and long grin hair. She spoke in a way that was slightly warbly. "My name is Tsuyu, but I'm sure we will be great friends soon. So you can call me Tsu." Kairi smiled at the confidant positivity. Tsuyu then opened her mouth and her tongue rolled out – and kept growing. Her tongue continued to extend, becoming enough to help grip a rather large box she wrapped her hands around. With the extra support, Tsu lugged the box up a set of stairs. Kairi opened the door just as a girl with glowing light brown hair entered, carrying one end of her lavender bookcase. The case moved through the door and on the other end of it was a bright-faced boy with a mess of green hair. She remembered him immediately from the various events around the school and TV events. Midoriya was his name. He had fought in ways very similar to All Might and had busted up his body. In a way, it was a comfort to know someone also suffered as a result of his quirk. Although, he had only ever hurt himself and Kairi felt she was always hurting others.

"Thanks," Kairi said shyly as they helped moved the case upstairs.

"Your name was Kairi Hoshino?" addressed a shorter boy with odd round clumps in his purple hair. Hopeful eyes stared at her expectedly. "May I help move your dresser?" Kairi breathed, ready to agree to it a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Forget it," came a firm, masculine voice. From the truck, two students were already pushing her elegant white dresser over the tailgate. A girl with dark hair that was tied up, pushed from the back of the piece of furniture. Pulling the dresser on the other end was a boy, with hair that was half glistening white and half bright red. He looked to the small boy with demanding mismatched eyes. "We all know what you really want to do."

"We figured it was best if we moved it," said the girl. Kairi cocked her brow with a question, though her gaze was focused on the boy with the duo colored hair. She remembered this one too. He had done so well in the school's events, and he was the son of the number one hero Endeavor, formerly number two. She couldn't remember his name but knew the family name was Todoroki.

He noticed her gaze towards and figured the quizzical look was directed towards him. He cleared his throat and exchanged his judgemental look to the boy with the purple hair. "He was hoping for a chance to search your drawers and find undergarments." Kairi breathed through flared nostrils and shot the boy a disgusted look. He chuckled sheepishly and tried to offer innocent eyes, though something in his gaze reflected her irritation. Kairi scoffed and slammed her hand against his nose, pushing him aside. He yelped and she ran out towards the truck, standing by as they pushed her dresser out. He grumbled and fumed, though it was hard to tell how much of it was genuine and how much of it was feeding off Kairi's own current aggression towards him.

"Here, let me help that thing is rather heavy…" she said, feeling flushed that she was just standing around while most everyone was helping to carry her stuff in the room. She stood at the middle of the dresser and provided as the fulcrum, easing the weight off them. Aizawa was moving about, but it was difficult for him to remain around her with the constant movement. So Kairi breathed and told herself the dresser was incredibly light. She said the mantra over and over in her head, hoping to trick her emotions into being content with the situation and not frustrated. Hopefully, that emotion would spread to the others as well and they would have no issue with carrying it.

Whether it worked or not, they seemed to carry the dresser into the room with little trouble. Most of the furniture had already been carried in by the other students, and her father continued to bring up the rest of the boxes. The class representative, Tenya Iida as he had introduced himself, lifted a pastel green desk over his head and behind him a girl with short dropped hair and wearing a sweatshirt carried a matching chair. With two more boxes brought in by a girl who was completely pink and a boy with red hair, the room was filled and ready for unpacking.

"I think that's everything, Riri," his father said affectionately as half of her new classmates stood in her room. "Is there anything else you need from me before I leave? Do you want me to help you unpack?" Kairi shook her head, feeling touched by the eagerness of her classmates at their readiness to help her.

"No, I can take care of it," she told him through a smile.

"Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." Kairi sniffled lightly and threw herself to her father's chest. He patted her warm mocha hair, tucking away the single blue strand that hung over her face.

"I won't." He kissed her forehead and looked up at the rest of the room.

"Thank you everyone for your help. Kairi and I appreciate it!" With one last gentle look, he fled from the room and Iida guided him out. Kairi look around and awkwardly look at the various looks of her new classmates. Most looked endeared by the interaction between her and her father, a couple were a bit annoyed. The Todoroki boy seemed lost in thought and wore something like a pout. Aizawa hung in the corner of the dorm room.

"I think a meeting needs to be called in the gathering area," he said in the awkwardness. The door slammed and hurried scatter sounded across the flooring downstairs.

"I agree!" came Iida's voice, who must have heard Aizawa through the open door. "Dorm meeting immediately! Gathering area!" Grumbles sounded across the students, and the ones in her room filed across the steps. They trudged over the stairs and joined the rest of them, taking seats on the couches and armchairs. A few still sat on the floor and Kairi made to sit. Iida placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "No, this meeting concerns you. Please stand." Awkward and exposed, a chill ran over Kairi's back. Her skin rippled with goosebumps and she reached to brush the blue strand back over her face. Aizawa remained in the room, but at a distance. He only remained as close as was necessary.

"Kairi and I are both grateful to you for helping to give her a warm welcome and moving her into her new dorm!" Iida began. "Your quickness to the chore shows just how much you have grown as a team, as students, and peers. But you're probably wondering why we have a new student?" Murmurs rolled over the various sitting students. They were curious and confused. Kairi pulled at the sleeve at her wrist. Iida turned to her. "Kairi, if you would?"

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"Hoshino," said Aizawa from his place near the door. Tension rolled over Kairi and she shuddered. Her skull was in a vice, pressuring weighing on her. For a moment, she apologized internally for the grief she was causing her classmates. A couple were shifting in their seats, leaving Kairi to suspect they were feeling the tension that was clutching herself. She winced.

"My name is Kairi Hoshino. As Tenya said, thank you very much for helping me move in my stuff… I'm… a second year like you and I… came from Class 2-C."

"2-C? What the hell are you doing in our class then?" Yelled the blonde aggressive one who hadn't helped with the move. She remembered him too. Bakugo, the one she was most afraid of being affected by her quirk if she got angry. She winced. "There's nothing special about them, we don't even interact with them! Who the hell thought it a good idea to throw you in with us?"

"Katsuki!" hissed the one with the red hair who sat beside him, elbowing his side. Bakugo glared but remained silent. Stones ran up Kairi's back and her mouth formed a sandy patch. She didn't want to continue. She didn't want them to know her quirk. Her eyes darted, searching for ways she could disappear. Iida looked at her with kind encouragement. She swallowed.

"Yes, I… haven't made much progress with my hero training because m-my quirk isn't physical. It's mental. And it's so powerful I am struggling to get past it."

"But I am assured she is an excellent student and has high intelligence!" Iida vouched enthusiastically. "I have been told she is promising and with just a little extra work she will easily reach the level the rest of you are at!" Kairi smiled but winced under the uncomfortable compliment. Doubt rang against her painfully.

"We… will see, I guess," she replied. She gnawed at the edge of her lip and finger the loose thread at the hem of her sleeve. "My quirk is… it's mood swings, essentially."

"So you're the same as every girl?" asked the boy with dark blonde hair sitting on the floor. He grinned wide and the boy with the purple hair high-fived him. They both synchronized their laughter and Kairi retreated inwardly. She withdrew her eyes and became acquainted with the wearing edges on her shoes, scuffed from the moving they had just done.

"Enough Kaminari!" Iida shouted, but his anger was unnecessary. The reading of her feelings within the room had caused the group to look away sheepishly and feel some sort of guilt, though they didn't quite understand why. A riptide was rolling in her with ill discomfort. Tenya attempted to smile, but the poor attempt revealed to her he was feeling the same emotion she was. Her regret only grew more. "Kairi, you may continue and there _will _be _no_ commentary!" He looked over the class with threat.

"No, not that it's… whatever mood I am in, the people in the room or area I am in get into that mood too. If I am happy, they become happy. If I am sad, they become sad. Angry, jealous, grief, you name it. This may not be such a big deal except my emotions are intense and if I get angry and the other person gets angry, we could just argue and only become even more upset with each other."

"That doesn't seem like that useful of a quirk," Bakugo huffed. He sounded angry, but he still avoided her look. Anger was seeming to be his default. Reactions to people's feelings would always be genuine – if a sad situation made them angry, then they would still display themselves as angry even when they were sad. If Bakugo reacted in anger to every emotion he felt, then he would always remain angry no matter what she felt. Compared to what she saw of him, this seemed to be hardly any change. She cast her eyes down and clicked her feet together.

"So far, it hasn't been. It's only led to issues. I never know who my real friends are because I don't know if they're genuinely happy to be with me or if it's simply because I am happy to be with them. I get angry and people get angry with me for no reason. If I am depressed, everyone else around me is and I feel guilty for ruining their day. The only thing I have been able to do is get myself to focus. When I focused on my schoolwork, all my classmates read that emotion and focused on their own work. In a way, I was helping them. They got their own work done but the focus gave them excellent test scores. My parents were both cops – they had quirks but chose to join the force versus becoming pro heroes. I wanted to give back to the community too but we both agreed my quirk would be too dangerous as a cop. So I thought why not become a Pro Hero? Maybe UA could help me control my quirk and I could use it for good. Except that's yet to happen. My last class couldn't control me and is the reason I am in this class in the first place."

"Sounds as if you didn't have a very good teacher," expressed one of the girls sadly. The same girl who had helped move her dresser. Kairi quickly shook her head in defense.

"No, he was a very good teacher. Enough that he spent a year trying everything possible." Kairi stuck her hands behind her back, in attempt to hide the nervousness that was jostling through her body. Her eyes scanned the students seated in the green hued gathering area. A few students twitched in their seats. A few fidgeted. One or two played with their hair. Most of them showed signs of nerves, a reflection of her own. She breathed and looked back at the floor, sadness anchoring her down. "Let me ask you all; how are you feeling right now? Please be honest. How are you emotionally feeling?"

"Bummed," answered the kid with the red hair.

"A little sad," answered a girl with brown hair.

"Sad," came a voice from a bigger dude.

"Melancholy," echoed the boy who had a bird's face.

"Pretty low, if I'm honest," said the girl who went by Tsu. There were several variations on the word "sad", except for Bakugo who simply said. "Annoyed and pissed off." She rolled her eyes. Default state, of course.

"You may feel annoyed and pissed off but maybe when you feel sad you get pissed off," she replied calmly. The core of her stomach settled at a low. Of course, it hurt her that everyone was feeling her grief and depression, but she was rather used to this reaction by now. Numb to it, in a way. "When I am… projecting my emotions, which is essentially all the time, you react to those feelings the way you always do. I may cry when I am sad, but you may not. If that's the case when you're sad, you'll do what you do when you're sad. Maybe you break stuff, that's what you'll be tempted to do."

"So how we react is not necessarily the same way you react?" Tenya asked this time, intrigued by her words. "Fascinating."

"No, you react the way you normally do. But you will feel the way I do. Essentially you could feel more than what emotions if that's what your emotions do, but you will also feel the one I am currently dealing with."

"You have got to be kidding me!" screamed Bakugo, shooting into a standing position. "You really expect to be a hero with a quirk like that?! Don't you think that kind of quirk is dangerous?!" Kairi stepped back and tightened her jaw, hesitating against the wince she had wanted to display.

"I want to try and use my quirk for good. And even if I can't be a hero with it, I want to at least get it under control."

"I get it, but isn't it a bit irresponsible to allow yourself to be around people like that?! If you're constantly feeling negative all the time, doesn't that only create more negative feelings and create more criminals?! You're telling me you're okay with manipulating feelings and thoughts and opinions?! Doesn't that make you a criminal yourself?!" A cinch, and then a snap passed through her mind. His words struck through her and left her sore, but the accusation of what she was perfectly okay with broke against the bone of her spirit. Her skin rippled with heat.

"No, I am not okay with it!" she screamed. "Why the hell do you think I want to be a hero so badly? Because I want to protect people, because I want to inspire positivity! I want to learn to control who I am, I am not okay with what my feelings do! But I can't control my emotions or change what I feel! Am I supposed to go around being happy all the time? You know damn well that's unrealistic and impossible! I've seen you on TV Bakugo, and I am more than aware of how you react to things!" As she yelled, the various other students turned in Bakugo's direction, faces reddened and a few fists clenched. Eyes stabbed through him, all of them feeling her rage. "In addition, if someone truly believes in something, I can't change that opinion or thought! If someone truly believes in good my temporary hopeless or anger when I am around them will not change that! My feelings may briefly manipulate them or lend them some more understanding, but it does not change a person's character if that's what they truly believe! My father is a cop! Don't you think if that were the case, he would be a wanted a criminal by now?"

"So you don't think your emotions can lead someone to a bad decision?!" Bakugo barked loudly, veins crinkled with his fury. Her own anger was fanning it and she knew, but all anxious cares had long gone now. The rest of the class looked as if they were ready to pounce on him.

"Of course it can! But if someone is firmly against murder, my anger doesn't make them a murderer! It pisses them off, and they make break a window, but if my anger makes them kill someone, the desire to do so was there before I upset them!"

"_Enough_!" hissed Aizawa and the class all dropped their sour expressions. The silence blanketed the area and it took a moment of quiet and then a few class members sighing for her to realize he was briefly erasing her quirk.

"Come on, you can't blame that on me!" Bakugo yelled. "She was clearly angry, which pissed me off!"

"Yes, but you could all feel how anxious and saddened she was before. She wasn't angry until you found a way to make her angry. So technically, it was your fault," Aizawa coolly told them. "Hoshino, please take a moment to step back and calm yourself for a bit. I shall continue this meeting. I have reviewed your file and medical records as you permitted me to, so any questions they may have for you I can answer. With your permission to do so." Kairi nodded and glumly, and happily stepped away from her class. Iida happily led her in the direction of the kitchen to help fix her some tea.

"This new change is going to challenge us all in new ways!" Aizawa continued. "Yes, it's imperative she learn how to control her quirk, but it will also present as a way for you to learn to guard your mind. There are countless kinds of quirks out there, many of them mental. Most of our class has demonstrated physical quirks with physical abilities, and you have had very little training to develop against any of the more mental ones. They are possibly more challenging depending on how you look at them, but they are just as vital to your survival and being a hero. You will need to learn to guard your minds and think for yourselves, and not let outside forces influence you. Whether that quirk come from a foe or a friend."

"How can she be expected to fight with that quirk?" Bakugo said, still sullen. Aizawa pulled a small bottle from his person again and dropped a few beads of it liquid into his eyes. He blinked.

"Not every hero is a fighter. There's more than one way to be one. You will learn to not let her feelings influence yours and you will learn to prevent hers from even reaching you. She will learn to control it; to settle it down and to enhance it when necessary. It is not only important for you as future heroes but also for you as you build relationships. It will help you as fighters and as friends." He pocketed the drops and looked across his field of students, still engaged in his words. "Which is why I think it's a good idea for everyone to start with one on one training with her."

"What?" chorused about half the class.

"We currently do not have any special events or courses coming up for a while, what with the new year just starting. It was just going to be your regular classes with regular training to get you caught back up to speed. Instead, I am going to replace your training with one on one time with her. I'll give you a week to get to know her and allow her to get settled. Maybe knowing her will help in strengthen your minds. I will have a class sheet hanging up in the classroom on Monday, where you will sign up for timeslots throughout the day. Until then, I advise you help her out and do your best to get along, and _try to be understanding_. In case you haven't picked up on it, she hasn't had the easiest life because of this quirk."

In the kitchen, Iida poured out steaming tea into a ceramic cup and pushed it in front of the seated Kairi. She pouted over it, but took the warmth in her hands. She shut her eyes, letting the steam roll over her nose and sooth her hands.

"Thank you," she said, breathing out a little of her anger and letting the feeling of the tea in her hands calm her.

"Everything upsets Bakugo, so please do not blame yourself."

"Why do I get the feeling you won't be saying that much longer?" she said before she sipped at the hot drink. "You've only just met me. Wait until I'm scared or traumatized or embarrassed. Those feelings could jeopardize the group."

"Perhaps," Iida said, his frown indicating how he felt the concern she was. He shrugged. "But Mr. Aizawa is relying on our history of dedication in our hard work and teambuilding skills to not only help you but help us. It's not simply on you, but also on us to train our brains to fight against you. Your parents are cops, correct? I'm sure more than once some criminal has tried to talk them into or out of something and some have been very persuasive. Some are good actors with their emotions. You don't need to have a quirk to be able to influence someone's feelings. And everyone needs to learn to guard themselves against what emotional persuasions to allow themselves to listen to and what to avoid. This is a situation we would have had to face no matter what. It is just more of a challenge for you and this way, we are helping each other." He smiled, and it was enough to pull up the sadness from Kairi's core. She warmed and loosened a bit within her soul and found a light grin.

"I hope you're right," she said, taking another sip of her tea. "I'm not going to lie though. Things are going to turn… emotionally destructive."

"Have you seen some of the people in our class? They've all been emotionally destructive." A genuine, hearty laugh unleashed from her. The tightening of her muscles around her stomach was welcome, as it was led by a good amount of joy. "Once we get used to each other's rhythm, I am certain we will learn to work together and strengthen one another. You will fit in fine, I am certain of it. As Class Rep, you are free to express any concerns you have to me and I will make sure they are taken care of." Kairi nodded gratefully and finished her tea. Iida stood to the side and allowed her to walk back into the other room first. Calmer, she held a gentle smile and the class immediately relaxed in their seats, feeling what she did.

With Aizawa finished, he quickly vanished from the dorm, letting the door slam behind him. Everyone stared at her blankly for a moment before Iida got the idea to go around the room and introduce themselves and their quirks to her. While most of the class was familiar thanks to being celebrities, she hadn't paid too much attention and only knew three or four of the more familiar faces in the room, plus those who had introduced themselves to her earlier. After they had all taken their turns, a few of the students scattered to do their own thing, but some remained and wanted to know more about her.

"Is that strand in front of your face naturally blue?" asked the surprisingly innocent question from Mineta.

"No," Kairi answered plainly. "I dye it pale blue because blue is supposedly calming. And somehow I thought maybe looking at blue all the time would calm me down. It probably doesn't help but at this point it might cause me more anxiety to get rid of it."

"How far away does someone have to be to be influenced by your quirk?" asked Hagakure, the invisible girl.

"It varies," Kairi shrugged. She placed a finger to her chin and scowled with thought. "Mostly it seems to be 100 feet, or restricted to the room I am in if it's smaller than 100 feet. However, the better I get to know someone the more it affects them. My father can sense what I am feeling before he even gets in the driveway. If I am feeling particular awful that day he will turn around and pick me up some ice cream or something." Kairi smiled at the memory. The group looked at her warmly.

"It's nice that despite your quirk, your father and you still have a good relationship," answered Yaoyorozu, the girl with the hair tied up. Kairi nodded but then looked down at her hands. The drop in her rippled to those around her and she knew they could already sense the change.

"I am assuming by the way everyone just felt the change, that means you don't have a good relationship?" Iida asked carefully.

"Uh, no, I mean that is to say we do," answered Kairi through deep breaths. "It wasn't always that way, though. It's complicated, honestly." Todoroki remained silent, but there was a change in his expression that didn't reflect what she was feeling. Almost one that was too familiar with her.

"You said your parents are cops," Midoriya remembered. "I imagine that didn't help with your emotions either."

"No. I was constantly afraid they would get hurt. In fact my mother got her leg mauled by a villain before All Might saved her. She still walks with a limp. At least, last I knew she did. She works a desk job now, away from the field."

"What do you mean last you knew?" Todoroki asked. Kairi sunk again and turned away from the eyes on her. At the change in the atmosphere again, Todoroki shifted in his seat and leaned forward, eyeing her with subtle concern.

"My mother and I are distant," Kairi briefly explained. "She moved back to England when she divorced my dad. That's where she's from." A heaviness fell over Kairi, gripping her and the rest of her classmates shifted uncomfortably. They felt the change, and she knew she couldn't hide it. She swallowed and her chest hardened uncomfortably as fear settled in. What more questions would they ask?

"Hey, so let's say you're attracted to someone," Mineta began, coyness slowing his speech. The smug look glinting in his eyes was already rolling irritation in her gut. At least it was a different subject than her parents, whatever it was.

"Same thing would happen," Kairi interrupted before he could continue. Her dull irritation was welcome, replacing the solemn heaviness that had covered her before. "Others around me would feel that strange attraction. Likely they would be confused, and it wouldn't be directed towards the same person I liked. Unless, of course, they already liked that same person. They would essentially just feel like they were crushing on someone but have no idea who. I imagine it would be very frustrating. I have yet to experience anything like that and frankly, I fear the day it will if it ever does. It seems like that could get very complicated."

"Okay, yes but that wasn't my question!" Mineta jumped in desperately before anyone else could begin to speak. "I was wondering what if you felt something deeper? Like... you know..." His lips stretched wide and his lips hissed a mischievous snicker. "What if you wanted to... you know... wanted to invite someone to bed."

Cheeks reddened brightly and flared hot, but Kairi didn't fall into an embarrassed tizzy. Anger rolled and pursed her lips into a near pucker. She glared to him and watched as his small form flopped over the chair and cackled with amusement.

"I imagine you already know the answer to that based on your amusement and my earlier answers. Yes, unfortunately. Others would feel the same things I would. Emotionally, that is. Everything that goes with it. Is that the answer you wanted?" Mineta's mouth burst open, hand slapping against the fabric of his seat. Laughing wildly, he kicked his legs as tears of joy fell down his face. Kairi's face rolled over to look at the faces of Yaoyorozu, Tsu, and Todoroki looking at with a mix of the shared anger and apologetics.

"Wait," Tsu said then, her face coloring with the brightness of a new question. "That makes me think of another question. What if when you go to sleep, you have nightmares, or pleasant dreams? The feelings you experience from those, would others feel them too? If you happened to be sleeping in the same room as someone else?"

"Not at all," Kairi answered through a relieving breath. Her anger thinned and dissipated. Those around her relaxed their shoulders. "For some reason, when I sleep, no one has been able to feel my emotions. At least, my mom and dad haven't. And I had some awful, scary nightmares as a kid."

"Your quirk doesn't work when you're asleep?" asked Uraraka, the girl with the light brown hair who sat beside Midoriya, changing the subject swiftly enough to pull her away from the heavy topic.

"Nope, and it's pretty handy. Almost like a reset because if I get emotionally wiped out, I get exhausted and I just sleep. It's as if it helps to reset things. If I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed, sometimes I will just nap and it helps me and everyone else." Kairi smirked and looked over the group. She giggled and then relaxed in her seat. "Shit, don't tell me – someone's quirk here is the ability to put someone to sleep. That's how you're going to get me, isn't it?"

Her peers murmured around her in a lull of laughter. She warmed at seeing them chuckle at her small joke.

"Well not among us," said Tsu. "However, Sato could probably feed you a dessert and the sugar load would eventually crash you."

"Don't tell Bakugo!" laughed Uraraka. "He'll just knock you out and then decide that's a win!" Their laughter grew louder and her muscles loosened with their chorus. It was nice, to be laughing with people. A flicker danced inside her soul, deciding that maybe things would not be so terrible with this class.


	3. Setting Up

"Did you say Class 2-A?" came the voice over her laptop speakers. Kairi leaned in front of her computer, lounging on her bed in a pale yellow t-shirt and bright pink shorts. She nodded at the vision of her mother's face on her computer screen, the same amber eyes as her but with hair a few shades lighter than her.

"The same one," Kairi replied, gazing with a longing ache at her mother's face. Phone calls, video calls, emails, texting, instant messaging. It was the only way they would ever have any sort of relationship. She refused to ever visit her in any way possible and vowed to never go back to Japan, because of her fear of her daughter. But she claimed to still want to know her and resorted to a relationship from a distance. It hurt Kairi, but she couldn't deny herself a way of talking to her mother. "They think we can help each other. Something about the strength of their teamwork and cooperate and how we can help each other to strengthen our minds."

"They're all really famous though, right?"

"Yeah, but they're famous because they're excellent fighters and heroes, Mom. If anyone can help me, it's them."

"It sounds more like you got in on the merit of your excellent schoolwork. You have always gotten As so easily, Riri." Kairi was forever lucky her mother couldn't feel her bitterness towards her, and also her sorrow. Her grades were a result of her having nothing else to do but use homework to focus herself. Her bitterness, a targeted emotion to her mother for acting the doting parent when she merely ran because she was too scared. As much as she grieved and regretted and blamed herself for her mother running, another part of her said a true parent would stay no matter what.

"Well, maybe. It shows I am willing to do work anyway."

"I am proud of you regardless." Kairi scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What was that?"

"Nothing, Mom."

"That scoff, what was that?"

"I was clearing my throat."

"Don't you lie to me, Kairi."

"Mom, just drop it."

"No! Don't be taking that tone with me! You can't trick me, Kairi!" screeched her mother's voice over the sensitive laptop speakers. Kairi let her head fall back as she stared back at the ceiling. This same old fight again. Something would upset her and her mother would take offense to her because her feelings were so vocal.

"I know, Mom! You never stop talking about how Perceptive you are to things!"

"Are you saying I shouldn't be?"

"No, but, for gods' sakes, you seem to love your quirk so much! Forgive me if I am a little annoyed at how proud you are of your quirk! Not all of us were so lucky, you know."

"Well, it's not like you need to make your emotions audible!"

"Seriously mom? You took off because you couldn't deal with my emotional output, but now I can't even make a slight comment on my emotions like any other human does? Like you do all the time? I am doing something that is considered a normal reaction to a normal human emotion that doesn't affect you in anyway except _normally_ and you can't even deal with that? What, fucking off to jolly old England wasn't good enough for you?!"

"You watch your tongue, young lady!"

"You don't live here! You don't get to tell me what to do!" Kairi yelled at the laptop.

"I am still your mother!"

"Congratulations, you did the natural thing that so many people in this world can do and birthed me. That doesn't make you a mother! A mother would have stayed and dealt with it!"

"Riri, we have been over this…"

"And we have never finished it, Mom! Dad struggled too, but he dealt with it, and he still finds ways to deal with it. He _stayed_ and became a father! You chose to have me, that means you were responsible of me! You know, Dad's right, I shouldn't have any contact with you."

"You say that every time!"

"I know!" Their yelling fell into silence and Kairi continued to blink at the computer screen. Her chest fell dramatically with her angered breaths and her mother looked at her keyboard awkwardly.

"I'll talk to you next month."

"I guess."

"I love you."

"Love you too." The chime signaled the end of the call and Kairi grabbed the pillow from behind her back, pulling it to her chest. A soft scuffle scattered across her door and she gasped at the sudden nose. The grip in her chest disappeared quickly at the realization someone had just knocked at her door.

"Um… come in?" she addressed nervously. The door breathed with its opening and several familiar faces peered in.

"Hi!" greeted Uraraka, cheeks full of a bright pink. Her grin was wide and embarrassed, sign that she had heard something that was going on. "I'm sorry to have us all budge in like this but…"

"It would be very rude of us if we didn't help out!" announced Iida, popping in his head from behind Uraraka.

"Ochaco suggested it," Midoriya said, coming in beside Uraraka. Like her, he was wearing a grin, but it slowly faded as they stepped into the room. Kairi swallowed as she tried to shake loose the hollow and twisted agony that was still rattling through her. She shifted, hoping to push it away to avoid causing any discomfort. "We all thought it was a great idea. Since you were grilled for questions this afternoon and didn't get much time to settle in we thought we might help out a little if you need."

"Or if there's anything you forgot! My quirk is Creation so if there isn't too much you need I could make it for you!" Yaoyorozu announced, sticking herself in between the widening door. She frowned when she stepped into the bedroom. "Are you doing all right in here, Hoshino?"

"I'm fine…" she breathed.

"_Ribbit_, we heard yelling!" said Tsu. She had continued to insist Kairi refer to her as Tsu, despite having only just met her that day. Kairi stiffened with suspicion.

"What did you hear?" she asked lowly.

"These walls are sturdy enough that we couldn't make out what you said," Todoroki replied, pushing through the rest of them. "They're not sturdy enough that we still could hear you yelling."

"Just an argument with a family member," Kairi mumbled cryptically, shrugging.

"Seems like it was pretty intense, judging by the tension in this room," Yaoyorozu said. She looked around, scanning the boxes that barely moved from that morning, save for the half open one with a pile of clothes spilling out of it and a luggage case that had toppled over. "We could easily unpack this room with all of us."

"Hmm, you brought a lot of stuff," Midoriya observed, glancing in the corner to where three stacked tote bins were sitting. Kairi shrugged.

"It's all from my previous dorm. I can't tell you what a relief it was for my father and I when UA erected the dorm rooms. Of course he misses me but it's easier on both of us if I am rarely home. I'm really only home for holidays now. So basically everything I own is here. I only left basics at home."

"Is it all right then? If we help you unpack?" Uraraka asked excitedly, already eyeing the pieces of fabric that were falling out of the box packed with articles of clothing.

"You don't have to, I promise you. Please don't feel obligated," she said, trying hard to ignore the turn to her lips as her spirit warmed with their desire to help her.

"Not at all!" Iida excitedly said. "It's an honor to help you out in anyway we can! Please, Hoshino, direct us to where you want us to go!" Her shoulders melted as her stress dripped away at a slight. Relaxing, Kairi shifted herself back to her bed and swung her legs over it. Energy rising through her, determination mingled with pride and she buzzed around the room.

"If you truly want to," she continued, fighting against the smile on her face. "Uraraka and Yaoyorozu… if you like, you could organize and fold my laundry. Everything is clean, I promise. The dresser is already half full but you can fill it up and anything nice or long gets hung up in the closet." The two girls nodded and began to pull the clothes out of the boxes in front of them. "Tsu, I have a box of office supplies over there. You could probably unpack them and set them all on my desk for now. If I don't like how it's arranged, I will mess with it later but for now just get them all out. Iida…"

"Yes!" he said, ready for instruction. She halted a giggle and noticed how much the room was smiling and happily working. Kairi glowed.

"These couple of boxes over here? They're all books. Would you like to organize them?"

"Happily! I will make sure they are in the best and most organized form!" True to his nature, he was ripping apart the box and began a system of sorting them all. She turned to Midoriya and Todoroki then, stepping in front of the totes.

"So I guess you can work on these, if you want. These are collectables, pictures, and décor. I'm not too picky, so long as nothing is crooked. I just like having a lot of color and detail to look at it. It calms me," Kairi said.

"Got it!" said Midoriya and he flipped open the lid. Todoroki nodded and began to pull out the contents. Kairi forced the skip in her step to not appear so obvious and she returned to the open luggage, pulling aside some random pieces. The luggage had turned into her miscellaneous container, things that hadn't found a home and she continued to work at it. She smirked and pulled her phone from her nightstand, scrolling through a selection of music.

"Is everyone all right if I put on some music?" she asked. The six of them all voiced positively, and she put on something gentle, yet poppy and bubbly. It would help with the mood and she figured it would be mostly agreeable and unoffensive to those in the room. The music did seem to help improve things as they worked with a jump in their demeanors, or perhaps that was an echo of the contented feelings Kairi was currently experiencing. Whatever the reason, she was glad for it. She pulled an item from her luggage, bronze and shaped like a square lantern. She grabbed a cord that distended from it and plugged it into the outlet. Her hand dropped two cubes in the top of the square and she dove back into her case, grabbing a long string of orb lights from it.

"Hey, Hoshino. What's this picture from?" Midoriya asked, finding a framed photo of a brunette little girl sitting between a couple who looked vaguely like her. The woman had her eyes and the man had her hair color. The girl was squished between the two and could not take her eyes off of what was above her, and the lighting around them was dim. Kairi looked over to the picture with a glowing fondness.

"Oh that. That was a year before my parents divorced, and it was shortly after that when things really became difficult. I think I was six. I suppose you could say it was one of the last times we were truly happy. We visited Mom's family in England and my parents took me to this place called the Mansion on the Moor. This man inherited a ton of money in his middle age after his father died. He retired early, had no wife or kids, and inherited the house. He was looking for something to do and valued spreading happiness and joy and education to children, so he just… collected things. He collected items of all kinds, and sorted them in various rooms in his house to fit a theme. He designed stuff, engineered stuff for the rooms and it just became a collection of collections. Something to wonder at and bring joy, and I loved it. I have never really seen anything like it before and looking at that picture makes me happy so I keep it out." Midoriya grinned brightly and looked over the wall desperately, for just the perfect spot. He chose a spot where she was likely to turn and look over at it early in the morning when she awoke.

"Hoshino… you have quite a few _Dungeons and Dragons_ books!" Iida exclaimed, turning the heads of everyone in the room. Kairi cackled, amused by his astonished glee at his find.

"Yeah, I got really excited about playing it once when I was child, but it only happened for a couple of sessions. The friends I had when I was ten... Well, you can guess how it went. We played for a couple of sessions but they had difficulty being around me, if I'm honest. I bought a ton of books hoping we could carry it out for a long time, but that didn't happen. I don't know, I like the stories the campaigns form and the possibilities they create."

"Who did you play?"

"A normal human with no special abilities whatsoever."

"Ahhh!" screamed Yaoyorozu, whipping the heads around of everyone in the room. She held out a long flowing dress, a cream colored and speckled with just a few colored flowers stitched up the hem. "This is a gorgeous dress, Hoshino!" Kairi drug the string of lights over the bed and stepped over her duvet. She held up one end of the string and leapt to stand on the nightstand. Kairi raised the string and adjusted it, til the lights held suspended just over her bed.

Together they all worked, occasionally someone would make a comment one something she owned but the whole room seemed to know not to press her for information and focused on working. The silence created the contentedness she felt. No one pushed her and simply decided to help her put her room together; a task she had been dreading. But nothing really seemed out of place when they were finished. It had its usual glow and dim ambiance of her pink and blue lights that created her calming atmosphere, images and posters wallpapered in a direction she could easily see them. All her décor was hand-picked and crafted to fill her with calm and happiness, a sanctuary she had built together herself to calm her in moments when she was upset. Even things she didn't often believe such as "Be A Warrior, Not a Worrier" and "She Believed She could, So She Did." They were all incredibly cheesy and cliché sayings and posters. They were all colored in mundane pastels and lit by the soft glow. They were things mothers often liked to line their walls with, but Kairi could not turn away from them. As lame as she knew they were, they offered her a calmness, a rustic warmth that would course through her and tame her emotions. There was a reminiscent familiarity about them and reminders of the person she wanted to be, so she kept them around, creating her safe space.

Clothes hung and folded, walls decorated, books organized, and desk maintained, the room came together well. Wafts of vanilla and honey coasted through the air from her wax warmer and the blending of it all settled Kairi into a mellow mood.

"It looks very nice! Very homey and inviting!" Uraraka expressed, enjoying the look.

"Well, you all helped put it together, so thanks is to you," Kairi shyly said. "You didn't have to do that by the way so… thanks."

"Not at all! That's what we are all here to do," Iida said proudly as he began to lead the group out the door.

"Some of us decided we're going to bring snacks and watch a movie tomorrow night," Tsu started, following them. "You should join us."

"Yeah! Join us!" urged Midoriya. Another wave of gladness that rolled over her, she glowed with appreciation.

"I think I would like that," she agreed with a nod. "Sure! I would love to join!" They said their goodbyes, heading out the door, and Kairi found it hard to push away her grin. It was such a welcome change, such a stirring pride to know they had truly wanted to reach out to her and help in anyway they could. Todoroki paused at the door and looked over at her, his one dark eye focused on her. Kairi swallowed, her knee freezing at his gaze and her warm feeling fell quickly. She stepped back and turned away, guilt settling in here before she even understood what it was.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," he told her calmly. "You're stronger than you think you are." Kairi remained in place, staring at him with shocked and widened eyes. The center of her brow crinkled as confusion found her. Todoroki shrugged. "That's all. Have a good night, Hoshino." He walked away from the threshold and let the door fall shut. Kairi stared at the closed door, blinking. She swallowed again before the icy feeling fell away. An invisible weight fell against her and slowed her pace as she moved to her desk to rearrange a few things. A sigh escaped from her lips as she played the day over in her mind. Everyone had been so kind to her, for the most part, and they were receptive of her. She wondered, to herself, how long it would take for that to change.

* * *

**Mansion on the Moor is not a real place in England, I made it up. It is, however, based on House on the Rock in Wisconsin which is a really cool place I highly recommend!**

**Please leave a review if you feel inclined! I appreciate the feedback, but I do ask you be kind!**


	4. Settling In

Sunday had been distracting enough that she was able to get through it with no incident. She had slept in late, exhausted by the anxiety and moving of the day. Kairi mostly kept to herself until the group met up for the movie they had planned and brought snacks and pizza. About half of the class was there and she had mostly laughed and enjoyed their time together. When it came time to go to their rooms, she felt elated in her spirits and it took little time for her to settle her mind and go to sleep.

It was the next day, when Monday rolled around and she was expected to begin her day in a new classroom when the claws of her nerves dug into her again. She dressed hurriedly and let her hair fall however it was going to that day. She swiped her eyeliner over her lids a couple of times and padded pink dust over her eyes. Kairi stepped into her shoes and then slung her bag over her shoulder.

Snatching a pastry from the communal fridge, she walked briskly out the dorm entrance and saw several students laughing and talking animatedly with each other. She clutched the strap of her bookbag in front of her, seeing how people were paired up with friends or in groups. She walked alone, following the path that led up to the school. A few familiar faces from her previous class passed her and she ducked her head low, hoping they wouldn't notice.

The mood around her change. Laughter died down and conversation quieted. She overheard a student stress about an assignment that needed to be done, and another was upset someone hadn't talked to her in awhile. As always, their anxiety was manifesting in their own problems. Just another day for her, she sighed and picked up her pace, swinging her back behind her.

Kairi jogged through the halls and turned into the room, Class 2-A. She looked around at the half full room until Tokoyami gestured to a seat that was open off to the side. She smiled at him politely and then stopped at a sign up sheet near the board at the front. It was as Aizawa said, he had placed a sign up sheet for one on one duels. Several students had already scribbled their names in the numbered slots. Number one was Iida, inspiring a smirk out of her. She had known him for a weekend and had already become familiar with his overachiever flair. Of course, that was likely why he was the class rep. She scanned through the list, only a few of the people having signed up. A few other students filed in, Yaoyorozu, Aoyama, and Jiro if she was remembering correctly. She stepped away and took the spot Tokoyami had pointed to. Kairi automatically reached and pulled the necessary materials from her bag and waited, watching as people began to file in.

One by one, she watched them pause in front of the list and scribble down their names before they took their seats. Kairi reminded herself, in a consistent mantra, to focus on her work. To think about what the teacher said, and answer as best she could. Focus, that was always the best option in school. It helped others too. Her focus would become their focus.

"Hey Hoshino!" called a chipper voice. She looked back up and saw Uraraka, abandoning her position where she stood beside Midoriya's desk. She waved to Kairi and skipped her direction, cheerfully.

"Hello," Kairi said quietly.

"Are you excited for your first day of class with us?" she nearly squeaked excitedly. Her genuine consideration for her grew enthusiasm in Kairi and she relaxed in her seat.

"I'm looking forward to getting to know the class," she said slowly, picking her words as carefully as possible.

"Hey, are you really okay with so many battles in a row?" she asked. "That's twenty duels, isn't that going to exhaust you?"

"I've discussed it with Mr. Aizawa. They're intended to be short. It's mostly an introductory battle, to get an idea of what I am capable of doing and so I can know everyone else's quirks. It's almost like my quirk doesn't just stop and wear out like most people's, though I am constantly exhausted and I don't know if that's the quirk, or emotional stress, or what it is but my quirk won't stop. Recovery Girl will be on board, and there will be many breaks."

"Are you nervous?"

"Not really. My last class, when I faced my classmates, I stressed them out too much and it put them off their game. However, you are class 2-A and you have excelled much farther than I did. After all, basically your whole class got provisional licenses last year and no one in my class got them, but..." Kairi's gaze drew away from Uraraka and she looked across the students that gave her pause. "I decided to review some footage, looking over your class. There are three here that I am little concerned about." Uraraka followed her eyes. The bouncy discussions fell into a mull as Kairi's tangled worries impacted the atmosphere.

"Bakugo?" Uraraka guessed. Kairi nodded.

"He's one of them. I think he could have the power to bring me down. He seems to have one emotion – anger. And if he gets angry that I am making him feel a certain way emotionally, he may get more angry. If there's anything I know, it's how the power of emotion can make you screw up in major ways."

"That's true, he is angry but he also was able to pull that anger through in ways that were a benefit." Kairi shrugged as the other girl attempted to try and guess. "It's Deku, isn't it?"

"Deku?" Kairi repeated propping up an eyebrow. "That's Midoriya's hero name, right? Why did he call himself that?"

"It's kind of a long story. We were all pretty confused as well."

"And you call him that?"

"We're good friends, him and I," she replied with a grin that stretched into warm pink cheeks. Kairi held her own grin, but the suspicious knowing couldn't escape her. The room lifted in their spirits again she continued to eye her.

"Well, anyway, yes. Midoriya. I'm not sure I'll stand a chance. I've watched him fight and it's... incredibly impressive."

"You're afraid of Todoroki as well," Uraraka continued to guess, barely taking a moment to think. "I don't blame you. He really is the strongest in the class."

"Emotions are powerful but I will not last against two different quirks," Kairi stated with confidence. Shuffling echoed through the room as Aizawa entered, his fierce eyes commanding the attention of his students. Uraraka patted Kairi's shoulder and then hurried to slip back into her seat. Kairi let her eyes fall shut and repeated her self-instruction. Focus. Aizawa began to speak and she learned forward against her desk, absorbed in his words. Pencil to page, she drew herself away from her mind and clung to his teaching, taking in every direction he presented to them.

"How are we expected to write ten pages by next month?" bemoaned Mineta as he slumped off the verdant couch in the common area of the dorm. Kairi flipped through her notes, reading over the requirements of the essay Cementoss had asked them to begin thinking about. They were to begin reading the book and expected to finish it by Monday. The rest of the time would be dedicated to researching and writing the essay at home.

"Mr. Ishiyama has really been gracious this year. He's giving us a whole month to write the paper!" Iida announced cheerfully. "That's quite a bit of time."

"If you ask me, it seem to be a ridiculous prompt," Bakugo huffed in annoyance. "Who cares about the consequences and the implications of his quirk. As long as evil is defeated in the end." Kairi scanned through her notes, rereading the questions that Mr. Ishiyama had asked during class, about what items to pay attention while reading the book they were assigned. It was a novel that was written when quirks first became to turn up, when it affected only a quarter of the population. He had asked them to keep in mind how prejudice was demonstrated in the book following the main character and to also pay attention to how an unreliable narrator may present his quirk. To form an opinion on if the quirk was truly be used honorably or dishonorably, and the bearing it might have had on his family. If the opposing forces are justified in their actions in their treatment or mistreatment of them. They were to pick a social issue to discuss in their paper and address it persuasively. Mr. Ishiyama reminded them that the book is often regarded as ambiguous in its meaning and intent and to not let their bias about having quirks convince them, to think about their viewpoints objectively. It was all Kairi could think about since class ended.

"How the book ends is not the point," Yaoyorozu said through the jumbled static that flitted through Kairi's brain. "Most books are about the journey and plot, and how that all cumulates in the end. It's the story as a whole."

"Whatever," Bakugo scoffed. "I'm not a nerd so I don't really care about that stuff. I'll do the work for a grade, sure, but if you ask me I'm not sure analyzing the book is all that important."

"That's... kind of the assignment..." Kairi grumbled under her breath. It was barely audible, but it was just loud enough that Bakugo could hear her. And, quite possibly, feeling the dulled annoyance she was casting. He snapped his neck towards her direction and stared at her stabbingly.

"What did you say?!"

"Analyzing the book," she repeatedly coolly, shutting her notes. "That's kind of the point of the assignment. If you don't, you're going to get a horrible grade." He gritted his teeth while his nose flared threateningly. He looked away and glared at the floor.

"Whatever. If you want to work yourself to death doing so, be my guest, but you won't see me wracking my mind over something so pathetic." Bakugo threw himself off the couch and slumped in his step. He ascended the stairs and turned in the direction of the boys' dorm before disappearing in the hall.

"I really though he was going to explode," Midoriya muttered with wide, blinking eyes. Kairi shrugged.

"Probably my doing. I was lost about the details assignment and my mind wasn't too energized by emotion at the moment. Maybe he felt it too and decided it wasn't worth it."

"If you ask me, I'm a little excited to read the book," Tsu voiced from where she stood in the common room. "Sounds interesting."

"Did you happen to take a look at the duel list, Hoshino?" Iida asked of her. Anticipation spiked and left a trace of pink in her lips. She gripped her fingers against her knees while her shoulders fell.

"I did. Seems as if it's full up now," she replied. "You lot are really going to make me work for this, aren't you?"

"You'll do just fine!" came a voice from the floating set of clothes named Hagakure. "I'm certain your mind is stronger than you think." Kairi smiled slightly and gave her a look of gratitiude.

"Maybe that's true, but I'm not too sure an emotional mess is going to be strong enough to defeat against some of your quirks, if not most." Looking across the room, she couldn't hide the way her eyes fell on Midoriya first, and then Todoroki. Cold rippled up her spine and she shiver. Several others in the room shivered as well.

An ethereal charm broke a gasp out of many of her peers as she jolted at the suddenness of the noises. Kairi's mind clicked with remembered alertness as she fished her phone from the bag that rested at her feet. She slid her finger across the screen to dismiss her alarm and then popped from the chair.

"Damn it," she whispered, glancing at the time. "I hate these meetings." Solemnity draped across the room. She looked to them apologetically, a reminder that it was her who had caused the sudden somberness. "I need to go, I'm sorry." Midoriya waved at her politely as she hurried out the door and Iida yelled out a reminder to her not to miss curfew, however long she was. She yelled out a confirmation to him and disappeared out the door.

An audible sighed melodious sounded from a couple of people amongst the gaggle of persons in the room. Kaminari smiled with relief and laid back on the floor against his arms.

"That feels better... has anyone else been feeling an emotional whiplash since she arrived?" he asked out over the crowd. "I mean, it's been pretty manageable but it's exhausting."

"I'll admit it's been somewhat disorientating," Yaoyorozu confessed sadly. "But I'm certain it's a matter of not getting used to. Once we know her better, I'm certain it won't be so bad. As you said as well, it's manageable so we can deal with it. It's not as if it's her fault."

"In addition to that, remember how it must be for her," Iida continued quickly. "We're feeling the after effects, but it is effecting her for real and quite possibly stronger than it's bothering us. It can't be easy for her to know how quickly our moods are being changed without anyone's control, knowing she's the one doing it inadvertently. That's on top of the struggles she has already had to deal with."

"But can someone's mood really shift that much?" Kaminari groaned.

"In general, that's what being a girl can be like sometimes," Uraraka answered quickly. "Maybe you're lucky enough that you don't constantly have changing moods, but I can go through several in one minute if I'm not having a very good day."

"You also have no idea what sort of issues she has had to deal with," rolled the cool tone of voice from Todoroki. The group looked over at him. "It doesn't seem as if her quirk has made her life particularly easy and she has said her parents are divorced. You don't know the reasons why or how it affected her. She doesn't talk as if she has many friends either."

"You're correct in that it's going to be a minor task in navigating our emotions with her in the room," Tsu added. "But remember what Mr. Aizawa said. Training with her is not only a help to her, it's meant to be a help to us. By strengthening her mind we will also be strengthening hers. We just have to learn to adjust and get stronger, and so will she."

"I think what's most important right now is helping her, in whatever way possible," Midoriya jumped in. "Part of that is helping her in training, but I think more than that we need to show her we are here and are not judging. People can't choose their quirks and so she didn't ask for this, and she doesn't seem to want to use it for evil purposes. We shouldn't judge her for it and we also need to remember none of this is her fault..." Their classmates stared at him, captivated by his powerful words. He knitted his brow and stared at the ground with seeming interest. "Come to think of it, she almost acts so apologetic, she would rather not be dealing with it. It's interesting how a mental quirk can continue to affect someone mentally. Does that make it greater then? Does that improve it or just injure it? With a quirk like that, she may wish to be quirkless. Does she want to become quirkless? That's really..." his muttered continued and the class turned away, tuning out his usual self-dialogue. It was a common occurrence with him and would continue to go on unless someone stopped him.

"Okay, okay, Midoriya, I get it," Kaminari groaned once the boy's mumbling grew to be an irritant. "I was just expressing something, I understand and don't hold anything against her."

* * *

**By this point, I assume Bakugo and Todoroki have their provisional license, which is why they have them. Please leave a review if you would like!**


	5. Guilted Doubt

The latest session with the counselor had left her in a daze, presenting her with more questions and rattled more hope than she thought she could have. Kairi had several counselors before, but she had often been left with little answers. Mental quirks didn't seem to be as common as physical ones or ones that could be seen operating with the naked eye. It wasn't uncommon for quirks to cause some effect on someone's mental state but, when the quirk was mental in and of itself and just continued a cycle... Paired with Kairi's own effect to manipulate the emotions of others. Sadly, she had encountered a few counselors and therapists who struggled to maintain their own emotions around her. Then there were others who were genuinely very good, but for some reason just could not lend her the help. No matter what she did, their talks did nothing but give her someone to vent to and their methods did little to help.

This one, however, seemed promising. She had only seen her for a few sessions, beginning a couple of months before 2-C asked her to transfer. UA often only hired the best of the best and Kairi was thankful to know that extended towards the medical experts as well. In addition, whoever they hired was going to need to know how to talk with future heroes. Future heroes who experienced more issues, more grief, and sorrow. With the rigorous training UA gave its students, it was foolish not to. After especially class 2-A was dealt with some heavy action that almost no other student had seen as first years in the schools history, they felt it vital to hire medical professionals who were far more equipped to deal with what they went through.

Kairi exited the school, the heavy thoughts bogging down her mind. In just a few sessions, she was already beginning to feel as if this new counselor was understanding her and was genuinely helping her work through stuff. However, current thoughts collapsed through her and collected in a heap of distraught. No one could help her. No one was able to finally get through her, until there was a counselor available only because UA had seen so much damage in their students they had to hire someone who had the strength and qualifications to manage them. Thankful as she was for it, all she could think was she was so far messed up, so much of a challenge that only a special select person could manage her.

Guilt and loneliness pinned her down. A reminder of how absolutely ruined she was as a person, that the average person couldn't just be enough to handle her, and good counselors who were right for others just could not tolerate her.

A place among the trees that surrounded the school grounds called out to her, and she retreated to their sanctuary. Kairi nestled against one tree and reached to grab her bag – realizing she hadn't brought it with. She swore quietly and then removed her phone from her pocket. With no homework to begin, she pulled up a streaming app and let her thoughts scramble as she became distracted by a couple of episodes her latest binge watch. Struggles momentarily forgotten, Kairi allowed herself to become absorbed into the story, every tense moment and warm minute in the show pulling at her from within. Sometimes, people had found the way she could lose herself in storylines to be incredibly odd, and a waste of time. The way stories could stir was part of what she loved about them, how they made her feel. And now, she allowed the feelings they brought to allow her to forget, to become numb for a moment and invest in the lives of fictional character's drama and complications.

It was when her phone chimed it's low battery and looked at the muted green of the trees when she had noticed the blue haze of dusk. Guilt-coated terror jolted her upright. It was only a few minutes away to the dorms, but she was still long past curfew. Kairi dusted the dirt on her shins before sliding her frantic feet across the ground. A melody burst from her back pocket, the fuzzy sensation drawing her attention. She turned out onto the path leading from the school and exited through the large archway, pulling out her phone to see that Iida was calling her. She groaned, gnawing on her lip in her pained regret. Kairi dismissed the call, and used the last of her juice to type out a text: "Lost track of time. Be at the dorm in a few minutes." With her phone going black, Kairi launched herself down the road, speeding as quickly as possible.

He seemed to gauge her time, because Iida was already holding the door open just as she fled through its entryway. He allowed the door to close, but looked at her firmly as paused, her shoulders shifting quickly with each breath she tried to catch. As adrenaline fell from her, embarrassment took its place and the heavy pinch of guilt returned. A constant, familiar sensation to her.

"Hoshino..." he began, his voice low and serious. Kairi looked up at him, her eyes crinkled with a deep sorrow. Iida's stern grimace lessened and formed an expression of pity. "Try not to make it a habit, okay?"

"Yes, Iida..." she panted. He nodded and turned away. Having left the entry way, Kairi slammed her eyes shut again, swallowing the thick emotion that was balling in her throat. As hard as she tried, warm moisture still seeped from her stressed eyes. Kairi sniffled, and wiped away the tears that clung to her nose. Deep gulps of air found her breathing normally again and she drudged herself into the communal kitchen, where she started to fill up the electric kettle. A gentle thud leapt through her and shook her chest. Kairi swung quickly, turning to catch a glimpse of the surprise guest behind her. A shocked gasped echoed the sensation in her heart and she dropped her alert at the sight of the blend of the red and white hair in front of her. Knowing it was just Todoroki settled her, but then she remembered the glean of tears that had soaked her face.

"Sorry," she whispered quickly, before pulling a napkin from its holder and rubbed at her lids.

"Don't worry about it," Todoroki mumbled, but the wrinkle to his forehead showed he was concerned. "Sometimes Iida yells. He just takes his role too seriously. Try not to worry about it too much. I... I know that's easier said than done. Especially since..." He faltered, trying not to fixate too much on her quirk.

"No, it wasn't... that."

"Then, what was it?" He blinked, waiting patiently for an answer.

"Nothing, it was... I saw my counselor is all and I just got back." Somehow, that answer was less embarrassing than the real answer; she should have been yelled at, but because Iida could feel she was embarrassed and ashamed, he took pity. He treated her differently because he knew how she felt. He should have treated her just like everyone else.

"Didn't you leave over three hours ago?" he asked. "I don't recall sessions with counselors taking that long."

"I... yes..." she said in a small voice and dropped her eyes again. More shame spiked through her and kept her from looking at him. She heard him sigh audibly, but couldn't read the cadence of it.

"It's not that big of a deal," he said. "Plenty of people come in after curfew. Iida is just more vigilant than most class reps."

"I know that, but this is class 2-A. You are supposed to all be... special, I guess. Honestly, I'm not skilled enough to really belong here, I'm only here because they don't think anyone else can handle me." Her feelings were giving her away more than she wanted, and her brain was telling her to stop. Her body frantically reached, aching for something that felt so far from her and her spirit was shrinking, falling from the terrifying expectation of what she felt she could never be. Kairi's core crumpled inside and her chest thundered with fears as she begged herself stop. To shut her mouth and keep quiet, falling against the regret that she was sharing even this much. Todoroki pursed his lips and looked away, thoughtful eyes shifting to the wall. Kairi swallowed, reading his expression as disinterest and boredom.

"I'm not sure that's true," he gruffly said. "Aizawa wouldn't just take you if he didn't think you had potential."

"I'm certain my previous teacher pushed me onto him. Pressured him, or something."

"Aizawa isn't a pushover. He would have dismissed you. He's nice but he isn't gentle. He's fair and isn't afraid to tell people no." His fixed bright blue eye on her held firm, something about his look feeling too genuine to not believe in his words.

"I'm sorry. I know you probably feel like shit and it's my fault," she whispered, rolling her eyes as a show of how annoyed she was at her quirk. Todoroki smirked.

"We're class 2-A. We've seen some awful things. You think this is the first time I have felt all of these things?" Somehow the remark broke a small grin from her and settled her emotions. Then the electric kettle beeped and startled her, briefly sparking surprise through her again. "It's just the kettle, I promise." He reached behind her and pulled it from its dock, swiping the cup she had pulled down for herself and dispensing the boiling water into it.

"Yeah... I'm pretty jumpy right now... what a hero, right?" she chuckled lightly, trying to dismiss all the ill feelings she was having.

"Heroes get scared and do ridiculous things too."

"Yeah..." Kairi said doubtfully, decided not to divulge more of what she was feeling. She continued to prep her tea, dropping the infuser into the cup.

"Listen, I'm... not the best person to talk to about... issues, I guess," he slowly said. "Whatever it is you're struggling with. That quirk can't be an easy thing to deal with. If I'm honest, I struggled with my own quirk, but it was for different reasons." Negativity diminished in her and her curiosity asked him about what it was he meant. "I'm not ready to go into it. I just mean that I sort of understand what it's like to hate a quirk, to struggle with its affects."

"But your quirk is so powerful!"

"And yours isn't?" he said, and shook his head. "I know how people talk about you when you're not here and... I guess, I just mean you don't have a reason to feel you're alone. I know many of the girls like you, and you could probably find any one of them to talk to and become friends with. Tsu and Yaoyorozu are pretty easy to talk to, Uraraka too. Actually, you might have some luck talking to Midoriya. He hasn't had it easy, and yet he's really positive and sometimes can be pretty inspiring to talk to. I've talked to him about some of my own stuff and... well, the class is kind of doing as well as it is because he's in it." Kairi smiled wider, a warmth settling in her with the gentleness he was talking to her. He may have been trying to avoid the situation by advising her to talk to someone else, but he seemed to care enough to advise her to do so.

"Don't sell yourself short, Todoroki. Your father's Endeavor, and your quirk is incredibly powerful. You would have done extremely well even if he weren't in this class." He winced and nearly hissed at her comment.

"Not in the same ways, and not for the right reasons," he nearly snapped. "Just... talk to someone. I know you have a counselor but if you did with some people here, it could help build some trust and understanding and sometimes this kind of thing is easier with friends. That is, if you want to talk to someone. I don't want you to feel forced."

"Thanks."

"I didn't exactly do anything."

"You did enough."

"Are you ready for the battles next week?" Kairi shrugged as her stomach filled with uncertainty.

"I don't know. I wouldn't do anything that would have lasting effects of mental damage. At least, not intentionally. I don't try to make myself completely devastated or embarrassed in battle. It feels rude."

"That may not work on the battlefield, Hoshino," he told her with a frown. "When your life is in danger, you may not have a choice, if this quirk is the tool you have to work with."

"But you're my classmates. I don't want to hurt you that way."

"Even if we're not really feeling the emotion and you know it?"

"It's real enough."

"Maybe but we're training to be heroes. Your concern is admirable, but if we're training we have to train for the real thing as much as possible." Kairi shrugged and shame cast itself over her again. What was the right thing? What was better for them? To not hold back and practice for real? Or to protect them as much as possible? Neither answer seemed right; she didn't want to do either one of them. Both seemed detrimental. She let out a long sigh. "Just think about it. You have time to consider it. Did you start the reading yet?"

"Shit, no!" she swallowed hurriedly. Todoroki smiled with amusement.

"It's okay, Hagakure carried your bag to your room. It's actually a pretty good book, I just came down here to eat something. Which, you should do too. You missed the dinner hour." He waved to her and picked up the apple he had set to the side before walking back up the steps to the boys' dorm. Feeling a little more settled and relaxed, Kairi took her warm cup and took the route to the girls' dorm. Her bookbag was sitting in the center of her bed. She smiled, reminding herself to remember to thank Hagakure later.

* * *

**I mentioned the counselor because I think it's important to Kairi that she see one so I wanted to establish that she is seeing one. However, I have very little personal experience with counselors or any kind of therapy (though I REALLY need to see one and am working on doing so soon) and I didn't want to depict a counselor or their methods in an inaccurate way. It's not important to the story flow and would likely just impede it anyway. So I wanted to establish she was seeing one and then simply move on.**

**Thanks for the favorites I've been getting! It means a lot that a few people enjoy my story! Please leave a review if you would like!**


	6. Emotional Battles

The week had felt both too frantically fast and agonizingly slow. Kairi had wanted to get the fights over with, but also dreaded the day it had actually arrived. It was the mingling of relief and dread that drug her out of bed that morning and all she could do was stare at the mirror reflecting her jittery expression back to her. Kairi leaned over her knees and clutched him, taking in heavy breaths. She had an emergency meeting with her counselor the day before about how she had felt. In the moment, it seemed to have helped. However, in that morning, she was ready to tear away her skin and crawl out of it, leaving her pelt behind as she ran away out the window and disappeared through the trees.

A steady rap on her door startled her and she squealed, cursing quietly at herself for jumping at a simple gesture. Kairi fumbled through her mind, looking for phrases or methods to calm herself down and then insulted her intelligence when she couldn't. Jumpiness did not make a hero, unless that hero was Jump Man. For a brief moment, she wondered if Mario was originally based on someone with a quirk and then another quick succession of knocks broke her away from her wondering thoughts.

"Hoshino!" called out a kind voice, female. "Are you ready? We're all excited for today! We can't wait to see how you fight!" Hagakure. While the positive encouragement flattered her, it only tightened her stomach. Premature regret sickened her, already imagining how she was going to be a disappointment or what terrible way she would mess up. She didn't want to take a hold of people's emotions without their wanting, but that was the exercise. It felt like an invasion, a manipulation of their free will but they also knew that would happen and once again _that was the point. _To train them. To train her. It was necessary, it was vital to their roles as heroes. Kairi took in a large breath and held in just at the opening of her esophagus. She allowed it to slowly seep through her throat and then her nose, her tenseness decompressing and her mind finding a respite of relaxation. She began the lavender diffuser and used the ambiance of dim lighting she created to get ready. Maybe she could settle down a little before class started.

"I'm on my way!" she yelled. "I just... need a bit of time!"

"Do you want us to walk with you to school?" Tsu's voice. A glow of pressure and gladness flourished in Kairi's face.

"No!" she yelled quickly through her closed door. "Please don't come in I'm... I admit I'm kind of scared and nervous and if you come in here your own emotions will be jeopardized and I don't want that! You should start school fresh!"

"Are you sure?" came the voice of Yaoyorozu. "What if one of us went? I'm sure Aizawa would understand."

"No, I'm okay!' she yelled back, reaching for a brush. She began to rummage through her wardrobe and flicked out a thin suit with an ombre of seafoam green and gentle pink blended.

"We'll see you at school then!" A scattering of the tapping of feet diminished and She began to hurry. Her suit was skin tight and simple, to make movement easier. A metal plate was suspended over her left shoulder and her chest to cover her heart on the future chance she met a villain who wished to fatally harm her. Brown boots covered her feet for better tractions, and she wore white gloves for grip. Kairi tightened a utility belt with several pockets around it against her hips and then fastened a durable dark blue scarf around her neck. The final piece was a metal plate almost a headband she positioned around her head. Working as if it were nearly a helmet, she tightened the band behind her head and pulled her hair into a bun. Hair out of the way, forehead protected, she then proceeded to something more common – makeup. With a fresh face to hide how tired and stressed she really was, Kairi picked up her bag and her notes and threw open her door. She scurried down the steps and halted in her step, stomach shooting through to her throat.

A smiling face under a mess of vibrant green hair looked right up at her. His grin disappeared immediately upon seeing her, or maybe it was the sudden shocking nausea that stung her. She couldn't tell.

"Midoriya," she greeted.

"Nervous, then?"

"No, I'm positively peachy! Beautiful, wonderful!" Hoshino snapped in her irritation. He scowled too, but swallowed down whatever was growing in him.

"I know you are. The girls said you wanted to walk alone but I didn't like that. I figured you might need a friend right now. This is probably a lot of pressure on you."

"Midoriya, I'm manipulating your emotions right now," she hissed, tearing at the door. "Don't you think it will mess up any plan you have to defeat me?"

"What plan?" he shrugged. "I don't know how you operate."

"This way! Right now!"

"I'm not fighting you til near the end, so I think I will have time to calm down. Mr. Aizawa said the arena is going to be a big enough space so we can observe without your quirk affecting us."

"Still!" she practically shouted as her chest pattered vigorously. Midoriya blinked, his eyes unmoving from her as if he was studying her.

"You know, in a way it's helpful. I can tell exactly what you're feeling and think about what to say."

"You can't think straight when you're emotionally conflicted. Especially when it's a feeling that's forced and not actually what you feel."

"When I first got my quirk, I couldn't control it at all. I didn't understand it. I constantly damaged my body trying to fight with it and I was constantly being seen by Recovery Girl. Even now, my arms are so damaged that one more instance could hurt them. But my legs, they're strong and I can use them."

"Midoriya, what the hell?" she seethed, stopping in the middle of the short road to the school as other students shoved past her. They frowned and kept their eyes away from her, muttering quietly. "You literally just told me what you are going to do?"

"It's not fair that everyone already knows my tactics and you're new and don't them. Besides, it's not as if you haven't been studying up on us all week. You probably already knew that," he said carefully, breathing still deepened as he echoed Kairi's hurried emotions. "I'm not telling you this to inform you of what I plan to do. I'm telling you that it's not unusual to not have control of your quirk, and it doesn't make you weak. You will get it under control." Midoriya reached forward and clapped his fingers against her shoulder. She jerked her head and stared at his compassionate gesture as if it were a foreign object placed on her. "You will get it under control, and you will be stronger. I know you will." He grinned wide and nodded with his head in the direction of the school, dropping his hand. Kairi blinked and shook, words chilling her.

"Thanks," she whispered and dropped her head as they walked in silence. She trudged along and they entered the school. Just as she was dressed in her hero costume, so was everyone else. Aizawa had asked them to do so, and these days it felt a little odd not to be wearing the class uniforms. However, she felt freer in this outfit and less restricted. In several minutes she could be even freer and not be constantly be aware of her emotions. She could let loose and stop repressing herself. Except the guilt ate her for doing so. But that was the task.

She bit on her lip, confliction vibrating through her again.

Her peers waited in the classroom and they all either gave her forced smiles or pitiful glances, the atmosphere changing when she entered the room. Greeted with enthusiasm, the responses dropped upon her entering. She ignored any attempts to speak to her and quietly stood in the corner as they waited for Mr. Aizawa.

"All right! You all remember the drill!" he shouted as he impatiently slugged into the room. "Leave your stuff here and follow me." With the few words, the group walked single file through the halls and outside. They trekked the courtyard and then entered a building. Weaving through hallways and a couple of more incredibly tall staircases, Aizawa opened the door and they stood on a balcony that wrapped around what side of what could only be described as an oversized arena, except it was clustered with roads and several high buildings, representing the heart of a generic metropolis city. They mumbled in amazement at the location choice, but one look from Aizawa silenced them.

"Listen up," he said, shoving hands into his pockets. "This is all pretty standard so you understand what to do. Those not fighting, watch and observe while they fight. Recovery Girl is on call." He held out his hand to the short, elderly woman who waved happily to her. "Hoshino, you are going to take rests between each fight. You let us know if there's anything you need on those breaks. If the emotional toil is too much, let us know. I mean about _anything_, you got that?" Hoshino was trembling but nodded. "If I think a fight is getting too intense I will intervene and erase your quirks if need be. As you can see, a city scenario has been selected per Hoshino's request. These fights will be short. Ten minutes for each fight. Only _minor_ injuries." His direction was a hiss and he looked out over the class those his gaze seemed to fix more on Bakugo than anyone else.

"We are only asking for your best," said a slightly familiar but yet also unknown voice. Kairi turned to see a figure step into the room. He was incredibly thin, his skin clinging to a sunken and bony frame as if he held no muscle. Sunken eyes sat under long blonde hair and there was a look that was hard to deny who he was – but even so, the dramatic change had in his appearance had been all over the news when it was revealed that the All Might had been forced to retire. Hoshino's spirit spiked and lifted her. She had seen him around the school of course, but had only really seen him for major events. Here he was, just a few feet in front of her. Like everyone else, Kairi had learned he had lost his quirk from the TV. There had been very few instances however, when she had been this close to him and it was shocking to see him in such a state. Almost a skeleton. That was exactly what she saw, and it was even more devastating than she had thought. What must it like to lose one's quirk, she wondered? And could she lose hers?

"All Might..." she whispered. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Hey kid. Hoshino, right? Good to meet you. You couldn't have ended up in a better class."

"Uhh..." Flurries of determination strew across her, mixed with the anxiety and dazed emotions wobbling her over. "Thank you, Sir!"

"None of that, please." Aizawa rolled his eyes, clearly ready to move on and picked up a clipboard from a nearby seat.

"First up is Iida. You should head on down." He gestured towards a set of steps winding down into the arena. Iida pushed on his helmet, completing his suit that looked like some kind of armored knight or villain in a futuristic film. Kairi tightened the buckles at her boots and then followed her classmate down the steps.

"However this ends, we are both going to do well," he said from behind his helmet. Kairi flashed him a smile but it was false.

She started on one end of the fake city, and Iida continued til he was on the other side, far enough and hidden by the buildings she couldn't not see him.

The buzzer sounded for them to start and Kairi stopped holding in all her tension. She had to focus, on the task. Tell herself what to do. She had to calm herself. If she was calm, she could think. If Iida could be calm, he wouldn't react unpredictably. A snap at the holster and she removed a thin tube. Kairi uncapped it and inhaled the scents that reminded her of the muggy air, a mix of gasoline and breezes and wildflowers. The smell of the city they lived in when she was a young child and things were peaceful with her parents. A few more huffs on the smell and the nostalgia was triggered, her mind flooded with the memories and settled her soul. Kairi pocketed the scent tube and looked around, analyzing. What could be done, what could she do?

She knew she wasn't a fighter, but when she could think properly she could assess a situation and put together a plan. Iida's quirk made him fast, she remembered that. Hysterically, embarrassingly, Kairi was jumpy. Likely he picked up on that immediately and would use that to sneak up on her and take her down. With his speed, he could easily do that. No fighting to be had, only wits as her weapons and her quirk, Kairi climbed the closest building.

He would need to be close enough for her to be within distance. He would plan on that, she figured. He knew her radius. He would plan for that, and try to catch her by surprise as it would be the only way he could get the jump her emotions. Kairi nodded to herself, confirming her plan. With no strength in her upper arms, Kairi swung her legs up to the ledge above her and slung herself to the next window of the building. She gulped and breathed, warming at the small achievement she reached the next window. Then she struggled again, focusing on the strength in her legs.

It took a good chunk of their time, but Kairi reached the top of the building and scanned the horizon. The small dot of Iida was in view, zipping around impossibly fast. It didn't matter how fast he was, as long as he was in distance. Good. Kairi looked down at a tree, and then the ground. She grit her teeth, but it was the fastest way to get down then. Then she would make noise... then again, maybe it would catch him by surprise. If she alerted his presence, he would know he wouldn't catch her by surprise. So, she leapt.

Kairi tangled herself against the topmost tree branch and called out. Her scream was loud enough that it made Iida halt and he turn. She looked up and then collapsed against the groan, groaning at the mild pain buzzing in her arm. She pulled another scent tube and inhaled deeply. A smell of spilled sake and smoke from the overcooked food emitting from a stove when her mother ignored it to discipline her. Disappointment and regret, the worse she ever felt. Two deep breaths and Iida paused as she drew closer, the sensation growing more intense the closer she got.

He paused and concern wrinkled his face. He screwed up his lips and appeared to shrink small, pulling away as if something had wronged him. Iida gasped and shook his head.

"This is a trick. This is one of your emotions," he guessed. "No, it's not real." Iida clenched his fist and charged. His jaw was tight as he focused, flying by her quickly than she could register. Kairi simply toppled over to the side, moving just quick enough for him to pass by. She inhaled deeply, a shocking scorch down her throat. Frazzled and anxious, her mind bounced around through each crevice. Frantic eyes searched through the avenues. She spotted Iida stopping and taking a moment to breathe, a speck far away from her.

What to do next? He was too fast for her to catch up, which was a detriment to the distance of 100 feet. He could quickly jump from her influence. In order to win, she was going to have to resort to physical force, which would require him getting close enough for her to use physical force. He moved too fast for her to catch so if she wanted to, she would need to emotionally paralyze him. Kairi's hand quivered over the tube far on her right side. She remembered when Iida's brother was killed in Hosu City. Perhaps she could recall a similar emotion to how he felt, awaken that grief. It wouldn't be the same, but...

No. She couldn't do that. She couldn't push that emotion again. It was sickening, it was crushing. That felt wrong, and Iida seemed nice. Kairi swallowed and found her throat stiff and dry, blocked by a stabbing pain. It felt wrong to purposely inflict that kind of emotion. Her fingers trembled as her mind battled. It was just training. Were Iida a villain and she needed to save her life and friends, she couldn't hesitate. That's how she had to see him now. It was just training. He was just an opponent. Kairi's fingers quivered and she unclasped the holster for the tube. She popped off the top and then-

A shuddering ache plowed through her spine and Kairi was looking at the sky. She hadn't seen him, but felt Iida's arm drive right into her. Instantly, she had fallen, her back into the ground. She blinked and swore under her breath just as the loud _BRRNNGG _of the alarm sounded. Time was up, and she had lost. Of course, she spent too much time stressing over how she would affect him and if it were ethical and not just viewing this as practice exercise. It was only training. In battle, she was going to have to be ruthless. Ruthless, but not unjustly so. She had to see this as an exercise against a villain, and not her classmates.

"Iida is the winner!" came the boisterous tone from All Might, who momentarily took his former hero form to proudly announce the ending. Then he regressed back into his skeletal figure and coughed. Kairi sighed and continued to look back up, groaning at her own incapabilities. Iida stood over her and propped up a hand over her. She glared at it, targeting it as the cause of her demise. She sputtered, a strand of hair falling out of place and then clasped her palm against his, using his arm as leverage.

"I was trying to keep the damage to a minimum. You're not too hurt?" he asked with concerned but also a kind smile.

"Yeah, just a little sore," Kairi sighed, hopping up. Recovery Girl waited for her at the base of the steps and when Iida gave her a thumbs up he was uninjured, she waved him off. Kairi retreated to the edge of the stadium near Recovery Girl, taking a space on a bench that waited for. She offered her a water bottle and Kairi shook her head, not quite parched enough to need it. She stretched out her legs and tapped the top of the skinny pouch she almost reached for. The weight of her disappointment fell against her and she went over what she had done wrong. Her emotions got in the way again. Her fear of harming others, her fear of her own manipulation. She couldn't see it as just an exercise. Kairi whimpered.

She was no match against Ojiro, his advantage being physical combat. Her emotions caused him to slow down, but in the end she tried to take him and ended up against a wall thanks to that incredibly muscled tail. She caused a near panic attack in Hagakure, but then she ended up too far for her to know if she was close enough. She wasn't and she lost to her. She ran up to her and congratulated her on how well she did anyway, which was surprising. Ashido left a small burn on her leg thanks to the acid, which Recovery Girl cured with a kiss. Shoji left her confused and swiped her out under her feet thanks to an unseen extra limb she hadn't caught forming. Left in near tears at her inability to pin even one person down, she fared better with Kaminari. Having had time to assess her reflexes and pay closer attention, she hoped out of the strike zone of his bolts until she stressed herself out enough that he was overwhelmed and overused his curse. After wandering around, blubbering, she was left in confusion again. It was unclear if that was a win or not. Her strategies came into place when Sato appeared. She inhaled her favorite food scents, reminding her of hunger. He felt hunger, though it was fake, and decided to have a snack. After three cupcakes and two cookies, he figured out what she was doing. Kairi ran, moving at a faster pace than he could – thankfully he wasn't Iida. She inhaled a scent that reminded her of a night she was relaxed under the stars and the crisp air relaxed her. Between the sugar crash and that relaxed him, he became lethargic and almost fell asleep. She smirked. A true win.


	7. Todoroki vs Hoshino

Feeling smug, Kairi sipped on her bottle of water and breathed in her victory. Her eyes went up to the dual haired boy descending down the steps. She spat out a stream and coughed. Recovery Girl turned her to quickly assess how she was faring. Kairi held up her hand, easing her concern. "Swallowed wrong," she answer. The truth was, she knew Todoroki wasn't going to be easy. Son of the top Hero, one of the best in Class 2-A. She was going to fail before she even started.

"You're becoming more confidant," he told her when he met her below. "That's good, hold onto that."

"Too late," she scoffed. "I forfeit before I even start." Todoroki frowned.

"This is practice. It's not about winning or losing. We're just getting an idea of your Quirk and how it works." He held out a fist, the one on his side that produced ice. "If it helps, I can just use one side."

"No," Kairi whispered, tossing the empty water bottle into the receptacle. "I need to fight you at your full force."

"Then the same applies to you," he said, dropping his arm. "I notice you hesitate a bit at times. Don't do that. Come at me at full force. As far you're concerned, I am coming to kill you, Hoshino. That's how you have to view this situation. I am not your classmate right now. You can't even see me as a friend. Do you understand?" Kairi's eyes twitched. She knew he was correct, and conviction clenched her. It made sense, of course it did, but she was struggling to implement it. She didn't want people to see her Quirk as dangerous. She didn't want to gain the reputation of a future villain.

Todoroki reached to clap her on the shoulder and then gave her time while he traversed to the other side of the faux city. She grabbed the linen at her side and wiped the stress beads forming on her forehead. A final nod to Recovery Girl and she jumped on out.

Kairi ran through the streets, hiding in the shadows of the towers around her. She ducked and vanished in alcoves, thinking of how best to get to him. What would cripple Todoroki? With a powerful quirk, with someone who had a father like Endeavor, he must be used to winning. He must want to win, but no... that wasn't exactly him. Maybe he was used to winning, but it wouldn't quite fit. Still, failure was the best option she had at the moment. So her hand hung over the proper scent tube and she hurried back out through the streets.

A blast of cold caught her attention. At the prickling of her skin, she diverted her right, fleeing from the direction of the chill. Then she heard it. A muffled rush tear through the city and rise up a wall of ice. Kairi found a fire ladder and scaled it quickly up a ladder. She popped off the lid of the scent tube and sniffed. Peonies and bleach. The smell of the doctor's office when she was brought in for a third time about how far her quirk would reach. Her mother crying as she tried to explain how stressful it was raising her, the doctor explaining to her calmly that many quirks had drawbacks and she was just going to have to figure out how to handle. It didn't matter. She felt like the worst daughter for how she was hurting her mother. Kairi clutched her stuffed elephant, soaking it with her tears. She echoed those tears now, feeling empty and without desire. She whimpered. Perhaps the feeling was too much.

The ice mellowed and there were only small mounds now, evidence that her feelings had affected him. She ran closer, with the intention of increasing the feeling. Tears flying from her face, she bit down on her lip. Kairi focused on how she felt, recalled the conversation. The way her mother's face contorted when she screamed. The way her father sat afar, unable to speak for or against her. There was nothing she wanted more than day than to disappear and free her mother from her grief. She felt floored and broken, without a proper use. Kairi felt like nothing, unimportant. The doctor didn't give answers, only advice how to deal with the quirk. There was no solution, just a reminder this was how she was and she could not be fixed. She couldn't be the perfect daughter. She was the reason they chose not to have another child. She was the reason they split. It was all her fault. She was supposed to live up to their image and she couldn't. A blubber through her lips gave her away as she attempted to silence the outburst of agony that was reaching to burst from her.

The ice stopped. For a moment, she felt she had won. Todoroki stood still in front of her, staring at her blankly. She couldn't read him. Couldn't tell if he was affected. Then he frowned, looking mournful. Hope lifted her, and that was her mistake.

A ribbon of fire shot from her hand. It wasn't in her direct path, as he clearly was trying not to harm her, but close enough to throw her to the side. Kairi screamed, swearing wildly. Had it worked at all? Or had he played her? It shook her aggravation and she decided it pissed her off enough she didn't care. He wasn't holding back, as he said. So she wasn't going to.

The son of the greatest hero. What would hurt him? What would his father despise the most? What would bring him crumbling to his knees? Kairi didn't know Todoroki well yet but what if he felt like he had become something evil. A villain? She ripped a tube from her belt and sniffed it heavily. Lemongrass, dirt, and blood. A day on the playground when some kids weren't being very nice, her anger allowed them to get angry at each other. They fought, their Quirks allowing them to be particularly nasty. They wrestled each other and one girl smacked her head. That was the day they knew what her emotions did, and some parents screamed at her parents to hide their villainous child. Her mother hadn't defended her, her father chased after her. Her wretched stomach surged and tossed what she had for lunch that day. Her mind frantically analyzed the situation and she felt an instant hate. An emotion based on the belief of being a villain, and nothing else. That was all she would ever be. Kairi leaned forward and pressed a hand to her stomach, feeling the bitter acid and unpleasant warmth coming up again.

The boy stopped again and leaned forward. He knelt to the ground and placed a hand against his stomach. So it was working, she thought. She grinned, a surge of pride coming through. The ground rumbled in front of her. A cold wave swept over her just as a shatter and rushing rumble echoed around her. Kairi blinked, and a translucent sheet of ice pieced through the asphalt and wound around her body. She rose, and swiveled her head. A perfect circle of ice, blocking her in a ring. Noise deadened within her ice prison and the world fell silence. Kairi ran towards and slammed a booted foot against it, desperately hoping it would break with enough pressure. Of course it wouldn't. He had made it plenty thick. The aggravation she felt spurned into a wildfire of desperation and rage. She rounded her leg and then swung her whole body into it. Not even a crack formed. She was going to have to upset him in some way, get him to use his other side to melt the ice. Kairi stepped back, heading towards the center, and breathed. Her eyes looked over the pockets of vials as she considered the best one. Something that made her angry, to destroy and riot. Perhaps he would want to use his fire side then. Kairi pondered reflectively. Injustice, mistreatment of others, discrimination. That bothered her the most, but what would create that feeling? She didn't have a trigger memory for it that was linked to a scent. It happened so often.

Shivering, she pulled her legs under her in her ice prison and thought. Kairi shut her eyes and retried memories of the images on their TV she saw growing up, when she would ask her father why certain groups were being targeted. Why innocent men were put behind bars by the good guys. Why people were hurt and murdered when there was nothing they did wrong. Why people at school were bullied around her growing up. When people called her villain, when they assumed she would become something terrible. How her mother thought she was going to be a villain.

It worked and it pissed her off completely, but there was no change to the walls around her. All she felt now was anger. The memories riled her skin and her stomach plunged through her chest and flared with heat. Fuming, she jumped back to her feet and marched towards the wall. Kairi beat her fist against the ice.

"Todoroki! Are you still there?"

"Yeah!" He called back, though the barrier had dulled his voice some. "Just waiting for your next attack!"

"What are you talking about? Can't you tell how incredibly pissed off I am?!"

"I can hear it in your voice, but I don't feel anything mentally." Kairi's eye twitched and she looked up. The walls had extended, stopping just below the buildings around her. Her body convulsed with annoyance. There was nothing to cover the top of the circular vastness, but the extent of it was enough – Todoroki had listened to what she had said before, that it only extended to a room. He created a room, trapping her. A room he knew she wouldn't be able to get out of. There was absolutely no way she was going to win.

Furious, she punched once against the wall and then slumped against the floor. She hugged her knees for warmth – she hadn't designed her suit for weather conditions. Igloos were only warm because they had a roof to trap in air and keep it from circulating and changing. The air around her could still exit and change through the top, so the walls kept her chilly. This is when working with a team would be useful. Kairi rolled her eyes and moaned, feeling defenseless. Then, the alarm bell rang and she pouted. It had been almost certain Todoroki would defeat her – he was, essentially, the best. However she hoped it would be a more difficult fight than it was. It was too easy for him. He probably barely broke a sweat.

"Hoshino!" came his voice from behind. Her ears pricked and she turned towards the wall, then remembered he couldn't see her movements.

"Yes?" she called out.

"Stand in the middle. I'm going to use my fire to melt the walls!" Hoshino wobbled as she rose back up and backed towards the center.

"Okay, I'm ready!" she yelled out. There was a sweeping sound from the other side, a glowing shadow shining through the thick glistening blue. The walls began to sweat and streams of water seeped down, rather quickly. She looked up at saw the tops begin to shrink, edges smoothing as they rained in rapid torrents. It was a little unsettling, watching sheets of water rain down around her. Kairi gulped and continued to hold herself as the damp air continued to chill her. The ice thinned and she began to identify outlines of the area around her, seeing Todoroki's form in a stance and a thin glimmer of a glowing wave rushing from his left arm. When the wall thinned, there was a mumbled groan and a snap. More snaps followed and then a splintering chorus as the wall weakened and shattered. Chunks and particles of ice clamored in the remaining ring. Todoroki moved his fire away and beckoned her to come through. Kairi ran through the opening, teeth clattering.

"Th-thaanksss," she tried to say through the chatters. He finished melting the wall. It had become a watery mess, but it was soon completely gone. Kairi still rubbed her arms and the nips remained on her skin. Todoroki looked at her and frowned, holding out his left hand towards her. A small flame danced over his palm. He continue to hold it beside her as they slowly walked towards where Recovery Girl waited.

"You didn't hurt yourself beating against the walls, did you?" he asked coolly. Kairi flexed her fingers, feeling the tight tenderness between her knuckles. Her arm also throbbed slightly. She offered Todoroki a fake smile.

"I'll be fine. Recovery Girl is here, she'll help with that."

"I didn't intend to make you cold. I am sorry about that." Kairi shrugged.

"It's fine. It wasn't close to being long enough for hypothermia to set in, so it's perfectly fine. I'm okay. Thanks for the fire. I suppose you expected more of a challenge. Sorry if I disappointed you." That heaviness fell against her again, the one that reminded her how useful she was. Todoroki looked at her, watching her with interest. There was no way he didn't feel that.

"I'm not sure you can compare mental or physical quirks. They're two entirely different categories. It's hard to fight one with the other." _What a smooth way to say you knew you were better than me, dick_. Kairi huffed. He winced. "You caught me by surprise. With your quirk. I guess I hadn't expected it to quite be that strong. That was my mistake."

"What do you mean?"

"I came very close to throwing up. How did you do that?"

"Ah, that. Right. I just, you know... I use the strongest memory associated with that emotion. Some emotions are so strong, if they're the right kind, I can actually produce physical feelings. Those are the ones I think will benefit me most in combat. I'm still working on some of them."

"Hm," he replied. "What feeling was that? It was pretty intense. Really awful."

"It was the way I felt when I was bullied pretty badly as a child. Nothing really earth-shattering." He flicked his mis-matched eyes her direction again, clearly sensing a lie. It was hard to lie with her quirk. It was too strong of a memory to simply be an incident where a child made fun of her shirt or thought it silly she still played with dolls. And then there was the guilt she was currently feeling. Couldn't hide that, especially since he still stood close to her to hold the flame for her.

"I'm sorry. Kids can be terrible," was all he answered. Kairi looked to him with quizzical wonder. He hadn't called her out on it, even though the look he had revealed he knew it wasn't the truth.

"Eh. They're kids. That's why parents take away their toys and put them in time-out, right?" she said through a forced laughed. Todoroki nodded, studying the ground with interest.

"Yeah. That's what they do." She rolled her lips and gnawed on them thoughtfully. The awkwardness between them grew and she looked around for something change the topic. Kairi's mind darted in a panic, despising the tension her own emotions were building between them and his lack of conversation could only because she was making him so odd. The guilt plunged deeper when she thought about how considerate he had been with the small flame. Her eyes flew to Recovery Girl.

"Hey, Recovery Girl has to kiss people to heal them, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think when she was in college, she was actually really hot?" Todoroki drew back with disturbed confusion. Kairi spoke faster. "Like, I'm talking an absolute bombshell! And these guys and some girls were like constantly faking injuries in order to get her to kiss them? How many do you think there were? If she was completely gorgeous, she may have had hundreds!" Todoroki blinked for a moment as he nodded his head to keep with the flow of her fast-paced words. Kairi offered a hesitant smile and Todoroki broke into a grin.

"Hm, I don't know. I'm sure there's a database or a yearbook we could look into or something."

"Okay!" Kairi laughed, her steps springier as she walked. "Yeah, and then you have to give me your opinion. Were Recovery Girl our age, would you have been one of the ones faking an injury for a kiss?" Todoroki gave her a rather blank expression. She stiffened, nervous by the inability to read his face. "Uh, that is I mean to say if you are even into girls. I don't want to assume anything." When she was met with silence again. Kairi slowly pushed air through her teeth and worked to separate her heart from her stomach, as they both vibrated.

"Yeah, I am. At least, I think so anyway. I haven't really thought that too hard about it. Much of my focus has been on strengthening my quirk over everything else. I don't think about girls the same way..." He interrupted his own sentence with a sigh. "... as someone like Mineta does."

"I'm sorry, I talk weird and say strange things when I'm nervous."

"You... have no reason to be. We're classmates. And you're right – it is kind of a funny thought to think about."

"I'm okay now, you can put away the fire." Todoroki nodded and dropped his empty hand, the embers disappearing.

Recovery Girl assessed them both, finding Todoroki completely unharmed of course and found a few bruises on Kairi, but nothing that wouldn't heal quickly with a kiss from her. Kairi took a spot on the bench and downed a bottle of water again. Todoroki wished her luck and then began to walk back up the steps to rejoin his class. Most of them greeted him happily and commented on how good of a job he had done. He nodded humbly and passed by Bakugo who was already eagerly zipping past her.

"Hold on!" Todoroki called. "Give her a second to calm down. She needs a break before she starts the next fight. It's mental exhausting to her."

"Whatever," the blonde kid huffed ignorantly. "She's going to need to learn how to physical go up against me if she wants to stand a chance, and to be prepared for anything! That emotional crap isn't going to work on me! She thinks that she can make me nervous or scared or sad, yeah right!"

"I don't know about that, Kacchan," Midoriya said calmly.

"Yeah, she almost made Todoroki puke," Yaoyorozu added. Bakugo rolled his eyes and kept on walking. All-Might, who stood off to the side from the class, moved from where he stood at the balcony. He blocked Bakugo before he began to head down the steps. He gave All Might a glare, but stayed silent.

"Listen, Bakugo," he said slowly. "I know you enjoy your quirk but remember – minor injuries _only_."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember!" he said and moved around the former hero to continue descending the steps.

Kairi bolted up from her spot on the bench, eyes popping at the sight of her next opponent already running down the steps. Her chest stiffened with dread and anger. The girl chucked the empty bottle into a nearby receptacle and held her jaw taut. It wasn't going to be hard to get her emotions going with him around. He had already proven to piss her off a couple of times. She straightened her suit and then nodded courteously to him.

"Ready to lose, nerd?" he said with a wicked grin. Kairi held up one eyebrow.

"I might lose, but I will enjoy the emotional turmoil you will endure in the process."


	8. Bakugo vs Hoshino

A fire of rage was already burning in her gut. It had been easy to get nervous around the others. Not Bakugo though. He had already angered her. She wasn't fond of causing anyone emotional harm, but her worries about doing so were less with him. Perhaps am emotion different from constant anger would be a change for him. Kairi squeezed her fists tightly, already supercharging her fury. Bakugo only looked at her with that confidant smirk. His brow twitched from the excess of aggressive energy flowing through him, thanks to her quirk. Kairi turned away from him and ran the course of the stadium. After some good distance between them, she tucked herself into a darkened alleyway. Closing her eyes, she exhaled her fire and breathed in calm. She paused to think, to strategize her moves. Her chest softened as Focus took her mind.

Bakugo might be complicated. It was so easy for him to rile her up. All she had successfully experienced around him was any aggressive emotion. A guy like that likely had a slew of issues to work through. Stressing him out would be the best course of action but it was going to be hard. She could get so easily influenced, so mad and it could jeopardize her plan of doling out emotion after emotion. Kairi scoffed and looked over her scent capsules. Still so few, she would need to come up with more emotions.

The heated gust caught her attention first. Kairi ducked back into the dark alleyway, away from the street where she had felt the violent wind. He was close by. That wind must have been a draft from one of his explosions. A stream of light highlighted the narrowest passage opening between the back of the mock apartment building and a convenience store. Kairi breathed deeply and held herself tall, shuffling through the suffocating escape route. The siding of the store brushed just in front of the rise of her chest, causing her to wince mildly at the discomfort. She stepped back out into a street opening and ran, her blood pumping faster adrenaline through her. Her hand swept over a vial containing the smell of smoke as it wafted in through her window from the neighbor's, the thick damp scent of air from the muggy night and the spiced tea her mother had been brewing. The congregation of scents from the night her mother answered the phone screaming and crying. The memory sped Kairi's heart and caused her to change direction. She took the steps of another nearby building that led her to the balcony, running back in the direction the nearest explosion had come from. Feet leapt from the edge of the balcony, and she scrambled onto the roof of a one-story building. Kairi quietly stepped over the shingles. The buildings were knit close enough that a heavy jump could throw her from edge of a roof to another. Kairi leap up and nimble fingers curled over the ledge of another roof. A hefty leverage pulled her back up. A crash. A rumble followed the sharp bitter scent of smoke. Kairi pivoted on her heel.

Her mother yelled, little Kairi's attention removed from the TV. Her body froze as her mother's sobbing became exponential. The blubbering, the lack of sense, the increased blurriness in her head. The pulsing quakes, the thundering. She shook away the globs of tears that were dying to surrender and her throat thickened. Her mother's voice warbled and the sound became a deafened ring.

Another explosion revealed his location. Then there was a burst of another. Her eyes moved to the direction. Kairi swung her legs over the roof and leapt down. Less gracefully, she fell on top of a garbage bin and stumbled off it. A cringe at the feel, she continued down the street, forcing herself to harness that emotion. Her mother screaming. The world disappearing. Praying to gods she never paid attention to that her father would get home all right. A growling of fire popped again. Poor timing, reckless. Bakugo was freaking out. She dared a small smirk. Good, he was feeling her fear.

"Come out of hiding you nerd! I mean out! Stop being a coward and fight! You call that a quirk?! Come and fight me! What kind of hero won't fight?! Get out here, Hoshino! I'm going to win and you're going to see what a real hero looks like!" His insults were frantic, fueled by rage that was slowly becoming maniacal. Bakugo was losing it, and the fear was to blame. Kairi slipped behind another building, yelping at the feel of heat from another incredibly close explosion.

"Damn it! Show yourself, Hoshino! I'm tired of waiting!" Another wave of fire, Kairi running right in front of its glow just before he caught sight of her. She looked over at him though, and caught the twitch, the desperation in his protruding eyes and stretched expression. He was looking wild. She breathed in deeply. Time for her to be reckless.

She snatched a handful. Four emotions at once. Confusion. Embarrassment. Anxiety. Dread. Slipping into another alleyway, she peered just over the edge of the wall to look at him. Bakugo cried out loudly, searching in all directions for her. She giggled. Another emotion; glee. Maybe even pride. His mind was becoming assaulted by a constant change of emotion and it was due to wear him out. Bakugo was screaming as loud as he could, a string of insults and threats her way. A shot of fire again, this time sharper, thinner. A more forceful and direct hit of the flaming path. What a maniac. Thanks to Kairi's doing, anyway.

"What sort of quirk do you think this is?! You can't fight with it! What's the point! Stop hiding! HOSHINO! I'M TIRED OF YOUR SHIT! FIGHT OR I MEAN IT I'M GOING TO...!" Kairi dipped out of her hiding spot and launched herself right on top of him at the exact moment. His body crumbled under her from shock, but he shook her off immediately and pulled her arm around her back. A squawk came out of her and Kairi threw her free hand back. A ball fist met with a jab to the chin. He loosened his grip enough that she loosened herself and slammed a booted foot against his chest.

"Get _OFF ME_!" he bellowed wildly, reaching to grab her leg and slam her into the city street. Kairi fell beneath him and just as her back slammed against the asphalt, she pulled her legs up. Knees and toes pounded against him and threw the raged blonde kid back. He called out and swore loudly. Kairi rolled and began to sprint away, already reaching for a new scent. A warrior's yell came from behind her, following by a crying rush of brazen fire barreling towards her. Kairi's back felt warm, sweating uncomfortably at the proximity. Then her arm felt it. Heat, tight and biting. Intensely so. Stabbing and prickling alerted Kairi away from the emotion she was trying to focus on. She felt a new one now at the same time she smelt it. Pungent and bitter. It was as if meat had been ill-prepared and ill-cooked, and awful stench from whatever was also clamping against her elbow and jabbing her with blunt knives.

"SHIT!" came her cry as realization mad her roll onto the ground and snuff out the fire that had gnawing at her elbow. Tears stained her face as her arm throbbed angrily. The fire was gone, but her elbow was mangled, bubbling viciously.

"TIME-OUT! THAT'S THE MATCH! BAKUGO! HOSHINO! YOU'RE DONE!" came All Might's very briefly booming voice as it echoed off the expanse of walls.

"I still have three minutes left!" Bakugo called up with a furiously pulsing expressing.

"Get out of there now!" called down Aizawa's voice as he shouted after All Might. The blonde boy took each step aggressively as he possibly could, hissing and snarling with each inaudible complaint.

The students of 2-A held tightly to the edge of the barrier that overlooked into the stadium. Frozen faces desperately searched over the stadium as two staff members rushed into mock cityscape, weaving between the faux vehicles that were parked in the streets. In a blue, they both reached Kairi, leaning over her shaking body and inspecting her elbow. "I can walk!" came her anguished protest when one of the men tried to pick her up. She did allow him to help her but insisted she be allowed to get to her feet, crying and whimpering the whole way. Recovery Girl paced anxiously at the edge.

"What did you not get about minor injuries only?!" Iida shouted when Bakugo finally ended his ascent on the steps.

"It wasn't my fault!" he screamed at the class rep. "She... that quirk... my head wasn't where it should be! I was really pissed off and I knew it wasn't all me! It didn't feel completely like me and I knew part of it was her! I wasn't just mad, I was... I don't know what the hell I was! I felt like I had been sick or defeated and that just made me more pissed off! I couldn't handle it!"

"She could be your teammate, you can't let the effects of her quirk rattle you like that!"

"No! I can't team up with someone who can do that! She messed with my _head_! With my pulse! That's sick! I can't be teammates, much less classmates with someone like that!" Bakugo's face contorted to fit his disturbed emotion and rage. Fists shook at his sides. The onlooker students stepped away as the scrawny figure of the once great All Might came into view.

"Kid, what was that down there? You could have really hurt her!"

"I already said! She messed with my head! I couldn't think, I knew what I was feeling wasn't me but I couldn't stop it! Whatever that is, that can't be a quirk that's used to do good! That's unnatural, whatever it was!" He was seething and looking down at Hoshino as she carefully walked alongside a support staff member, guiding her towards Recovery Girl.

"It was upsetting how real it felt," Todoroki agreed calmly. "I even believed I was really going to throw up."

"You could have killed her, Bakugo!" Aizawa scolded sternly.

"Yeah? Well I didn't!" was his only argument, as his still shook with the disturbed anger weighing on him.

"Maybe Bakugo doesn't like the feeling of any emotion other than anger," Mineta quietly said.

"Shut up!" Bakugo yelled.

Recovery Girl frowned at the ghastly sight of the garish blistered flesh on Kairi's elbow. She let out a sad sigh before pressing a kiss just outside the wound.

"It's a second-degree burn. There will be some scarring, but it will heal just fine. However, I think now is a good time to break for lunch so we can get you fixed up. Then your class can resume normal classes for the day," Recovery Girl told her calmly. Kairi's eyes still leaked as regret and stabbing remorse gripped her. She held herself with her other arm, keeping the shudders composed. His face, the confounded disturbance. No one was to blame but herself. Her desperation to get to him, her pride, and personal annoyance to Bakugo had jeopardized her life. She had _wanted _him to suffer. She _wanted_ him to be traumatized by the stress of the emotions he endured. She had been told to not hold back, but it had been too much for Bakugo. He had almost killed her, and she had made it happen. Which was fine, but what if she had been working in a team, and he almost killed a teammate. Could she live with herself after that? Knowing the harm of a partner had been brought about because of a personal anger or pride? Because she had let her guard down and for a moment, didn't care about the well-being of others but winning and letting the other person suffer? Mentally, she throttled herself. What an idiotic thing to do.

"I want to keep fighting!" she said through rasps.

"What? But you need to heal!"

"It's just an elbow! Wrap the damn thing up... I need to finish this." She nearly bit through her lip as her elbow stung as they cleaned it. With a gel applied, they wound the roll of the bandages around her. She held her arm close to her side, wincing at the still throbbing ache. However, much of the initial pain subsided and Kairi leapt off the bench. She tilted her head and called up to the barrier at the top of the steps in the stadium. "Hey, let's go! Next fight!"

"We're finishing this!" Bakugo spat down and swung his leg to begin his descent down into the stadium. All Might clapped a hand on the student's shoulder first and shook his head.

"Sorry, Bakugo. I already said you're done," he said calmly.

"You can't be serious!" Bakugo barked disrespectfully, slapping away the hand. "You're blaming me for this?!"

"No," Aizawa stepped in then. "We're not. This is helping all of us develop an understanding of how her quirk affects her and others."

"Increased effect?" Midoriya repeated quietly and turned to the classmates around him. "Hey, how did it feel out there, anyway?" Iida looked to him pensively, eyes far away.

"I felt terrible. It was as if I had failed at everything in life and I could never do anything to bring any pride to my family name. For a moment I believed that may true," he said in a quiet voice. "But logic reminded me of her ability and I focused on getting away from her. The further I got, the less I felt. So I reassessed my strategy and decided to sneak up from behind. The sneak attack gave me the advantage so she didn't have time to change emotions." Midoriya nodded as he spoke, and then looked over to the rest of the crowd. Hagakure's voice cracked when she recalled how she almost broke under the pressure she felt. She admitted she was ready to collapse into hysterics. Sato revealed he hadn't ever remembered wanting food so badly.

"That doesn't make sense," Yaoyorozu stepped in. "Hunger isn't exactly an emotion. It's a response to a physical lack of nutrition."

"Yeah," Jiro affirmed. "But there's a lot of emotions that play into hunger."

"That's true," Todoroki agreed. "She made me almost throw up. I felt sick and I almost had a physical reaction to an emotion because of how strong it was."

"Huh. You know when you really think about it," Uraraka said thoughtfully. "What do you feel when you're hungry?"

"Well, you want to eat," Kaminari responded immediately as if it were obvious.

"Yeah, but when you're really hungry you can feel more than that," blurted Tsu. "I know if I go a long time without _ribbit _to eat, I can get irritable."

"I get really anxious," said Hagakure.

"I can get pretty angry," answered Sero.

"Yeah..." Midoriya mumbled. "Anxiety, irritation, desire for food, anger... huh. Is it really possible? Basing her strategies on the emotions one feels when they are hungry, is it possible that she created the illusion of hunger based on emotion?" The class collectively gasped and looked back out at Kairi in the stadium, slowly walking back out into the cityscape. Aoyama could be heard gulping amidst the silence.

"So... you're telling me... emotions can create illusion of physical feelings?" Ashido nearly squeaked.

"It's not that different from real life," Aizawa interrupted, having heard the leftover pieces of their conversation. "When you're worried, you can feel sick. Sometimes you might actually get sick if it's bad enough. Food companies will use color schemes to make you feel hungry. Certain medical practices like to use images to calm you. These don't always work, of course and it depends on the person and self-control. But there are many scientific studies that illustrate a connection between physical pain and a person's mental state. Emotions are powerful and can fool you into believing there is something physically wrong with you. Perhaps some of you have had little experience with these symptoms but I don't doubt some of you have."

"Sometimes, when I see a pretty girl I think I am so in love I am about to have a heart attack," Mineta responded with a dazed expressed. Aizawa groaned and stared mercifully at the ceiling hanging over his head.

"That's not exactly what I meant but you are on the right track."

"I am?!"

"Love and affection for someone can make you feel sick as well, or you may question if you have a heart attack if you have no idea what's going on." Bakugo ripped himself away from All-Might who was working to talk to him calmly. The boy took a seat some distance from the rest of the group, moping in his chair.

"Does that mean..." Aoyama began dreamily. "Since love is the most powerful emotion, love is her secret weapon?!" Dazed, he stood dramatically before them, shifting his body in a way that showed off the glimmer of his hero costume.

"Uhhh..." Yaoyorozu blinked awkwardly. "Sure... but I failed to see how love is going to help her in a fight." Aizawa took the chance to steer himself away the group and stand beside All Might who was watching Bakugo with concerned interest.

"I think he's right," the former hero told his colleague. "I don't think Bakugo ever had the intention to hurt her and that anger was aggressive, even for him. Hoshino amplified that anger and it threw him off, affecting his judgment."

"I suspected as much," Aizawa sighed. "It doesn't take long knowing Bakugo to get riled up by him. Hoshino likely picked up on his anger immediately and I can't imagine they got along very well."

"Do you think she wanted to make him that mad?"

"Hmm. I think it was a part of her plan so he could be thrown off and misjudge his steps, but I don't think she planned to get hurt. I think it was increased because she already harbors ill feelings towards him. Maybe she was looking for revenge."

"This quirk could be far more powerful that it appears on paper, especially if it can give the illusion of physical ailments," All Might said to Aizawa. "Especially given someone with history and trauma she's felt. That girl has some strong emotions locked away in her. Poor kid."

"She's not alone, remember. This class has seen some awful things. She's endured some tough situations, but so have they. Hopefully they can strength in themselves to work together." All Might smirked, a grotesque looking smile carved into his gaunt expression.

"Well, look at you. You do care." Aizawa made no remark with his face in either direction of the comment. "Bakugo is right about another thing. A quirk as powerful as that, especially given everything she's experienced. She could be a terrifying villain, there's no denying that." His eyes looked down to his students in the stadium, greeting each other before beginning to spread out and begin the battle. "However, she could also become a great and mighty hero. Given her disposition, that's what I am betting on."


	9. Midoriya vs Hoshino

Yaoyorozu had already gone in nervous after the incident with Bakugo and it had been to her detriment. She experienced feelings of hopelessness and felt worthless, causing her to freeze. All items she had created to throw Kairi off had failed and it was declared a win for her. Tokoyami was able to use Dark Shadow to defeat her but it had been really close – the stress she endured had affected him and he was about ready to give in, feeling exhausted. But determination won out and Dark Shadow pinned her just in time. Kairi defeated Aoyama by preying on feelings of loneliness with a hint of low self-esteem. He was left shaking out in the open and Kairi helped him to his feet, assuring him he had done a great job in spite of what he thought. The fight with Uraraka was a tie. She remembered what Iida had said and tried to sneak up on her, but the dread she suddenly felt thanks to her doing caused her to act impulsively and float away. Koda tried to overrun her with animals from nearby trees. She freaked out and tried to scurry away from the animals, while also fearing she would hurt them. Her panic caused Koda to panic as well, but he won regardless. Jiro beat her by snapping into a civil defense siren and amplifying the noise, causing too much distress for Kairi to think. Jiro made her own ears bleed in the process but won. Mineta was beaten by feelings of loneliness. Tsu quickly took her down by catching her off guard and whipping her into a rare soft patch of grass that she had carefully calculated wouldn't hurt her beyond a few bruises. Sero got her all tied up in his tape so she was unable to move and Kirishima was left cowering in fear, his hardening quirk serving no advantage towards him.

"I guess it's me then," Midoriya said, the last in the lineup. His class cheered him on, wishing him good luck. With the encouragement of his peers and friends urging him on, Midoriya met Hoshino at the bench she sat on. Her were veined with a deep red and her skin was dotted with sweat. Hunched over, she held her bandaged elbow carefully. Midoriya swallowed guiltily. She was exhausted, and he felt awful for it.

"Hey," she whispered. "You're the last one? Good." Her pale skin instantly colored with a rose hue and embarrassment stiffened her. "N-not that it's good you were last like you deserve to be last, or that I'm not eager to fight you, I simply...!"

"Hoshino," he said, reading the embarrassment. "I know what you meant. It's okay. You just want to be done." Her mouth paused before she could speak and she closed it, nodding. "Well, win or lose you only have ten more minutes with me! Then you can take a long nap!" Kairi found a smile in herself and giggled happily. "How's your elbow?"

"It will be fine. I'll have a nasty scar, which is fun but hey." Midoriya smiled and extended a hand. "I'm fine," she said, thinking he was offering to help her up, but then peered closed at his hand. Jagged scars ran over his palm and across the back of his hand. Eyes popped appearance of his hand and she looked up at him.

"I'm still learning how to control my quirk too," he told her. Grinning again, Kairi stood. Her soul lifted. Lighter and calmer, she moved from the bench and walked alongside Midoriya into the city set before them.

"However this ends, Midoriya," she told him kindly. "I'm going to enjoy fighting you. And I mean that in the kindest way possible."

"Me too, Hoshino," he chuckled. She nodded and broke away from him, dashing towards the other end of the stadium. A sliver of moisture clung to edges of her eyes as her stomach clenched. After seeing the way she had fought, brought their classmates to their knees in distress, he was still being so kind to her. There was no doubt he knew she was the reason Bakugo had attacked her and she had noticed every one after him become more cautious. He hadn't lost his smile for her however, and he was glad to fight her. Maybe it was because he knew he was powerful enough to fight her, but it hadn't felt that way. He addressed her as he had before, his smile genuine and he had worked to make her laugh. It was going to be hard, harder than the others to purposely try to shift his mood to bring him down. Guilty, she considered what she knew about him and began to think of how best to strategically play. He had a power quirk, very much like what All Might used to have. His advantage was fighting, whereas she could not fight too well. Enough to defend herself, but not offensively. She was going to have to keep a distance. Enough to stay out of his attack, close enough to stress him out. She winced. Kairi didn't want to emotionally manipulate him.

At the start, she immediately began running, hiding in and out of the shadows creating by the towering buildings that met her at every turn. Her mind darted around scenarios and options to attempt to defeat Midoriya. Thirty feet, she decided. That could be enough to cripple him emotionally, but give her some distance to avoid an attack from him. She would need to remain at thirty feet as much as she could until he crumbled. The sting struck through her again and she hissed reluctantly at its feel. It was training, she told herself again. Just training, but the guilt continued to grow.

As possibly the most powerful student at UA, she was going to need to consider some drastic measures. Beyond what she had seen on TV, there was very little she knew about him. He was kind, encouraging, and friendly. But Kairi wasn't aware of anything beyond that she could use. Her fingers twitched over the tube at her front. The most dangerous one. The one that was programmed the trigger the worst memory she had. The one she despised using most of all and had hoped she wouldn't need to use. But, if it didn't work nothing else would. Midoriya had plenty of people who loved him, surely there was someone he was afraid to lose. There had be someone he would think of when she used the scent tube, someone whom he would be torn apart when he considered the possibility. She blinked, another set of tears threatening to rise. Was this too cruel of a trick? Was this inhumane? Was she forever sealing her fate about what Midoriya thought of her if she used this? Swallowing the thickness forming in her throat, she sniffled and tapped the trusty tube, the pressure of it against her hip.

She was running, head spinning while her eyes panned the horizon and the sky for any sign of him coming towards her. She would need to maintain thirty feet, but she would need to find him first. Kairi kept running through the streets, keeping herself alert for any sign of where Midoriya was. The girl wove between alleyways before heading back onto the open street. Pausing, she pulled in burning breaths. The day was wearing on her, she wasn't at her best. Fight after fight, with only brief stops to use the restroom and to eat was treacherous to her body. Her legs and arms throbbed with begging. Kairi was already beginning to sway in her step, fatigued from the day's events. _Come on, just this last fight! _ She pleaded with her body, already clenching her secret weapon. Every step quaked her limbs with the dull soreness and she struggled to focus on anything but the desire to take a nap. The lids over her eyes prickled and the center of her fell, weighing her down. She wanted to sleep. She wanted a rest. Just a few more minutes and she could finally rest.

A gasp slipped from her, far too squeaky to be stealthy. She clapped her hand over her mouth and disappeared into a nearby shadow. The green haired boy had run down a neighboring street and she was probably about fifty feet away. Fingers clenched around the fabled tube, and she popped off its top. Willing her legs to push a little further, Kairi bolted back towards the direction Midoriya was in. She caught him with his back to her, swiveling his body in preparation for whatever direction she may come. Quietly she moved, she still wasn't fast enough to dart from his view when he turned. Midoriya's eyes bulged at the sight of closed fingers around the tube. Forty feet.

His lips trembled apprehensively and he bent his knees. Without a second to consider, the boy was spiraling through the air and waving, legs twitching with energy. Blue surges danced around him, the aura of his quirk. He held both his knees at an angle that gained him the most leverage. Kairi's mind snapped, reminding her to move. Just as she leaned her face over the opening of the tube, she twirled just out of the way, the edge of the powered foot skidding against her flesh. She winced at the scrape, shaking her arm as if that would stop the burn of it. The tube inhalation flooded her sense. The metallic of blood, the soothing richness of dirt, the salty reminder of sweat, and the foulest stench of sterilization she had ever recalled. Memories awakening, flashes of when she and her mother spent an entire day believing it was just them. When doctors pushed them away as they disobeyed orders and flew through the doors to try and follow the gurney that aggressively wheeled her father down the corridor. His face stained, his uniform soaked with a blend of his blood and a villain's. Kairi had reached for his still hand and the blood smeared down her fingers before she had been pulled away by a nurse who had tried to talk softly. Her mother screaming wildly. The patients and staff around Kairi becoming frantic themselves and wailing. Another emotional manipulation of hers, but they acted out. While Kairi only sobbed against her mother, some threw things. A few more screamed as they beat their fists into the walls. Three fell onto the floor in enraged tears, one threw aside a nurse. The hospital had become chaotic thanks to the chaos in Kairi's heart. There had been no hope, no reason to believe he would live. He had no pulse. He had been unresponsive. There was so much blood loss. He hadn't talked.

More flashes of them wandering the hospital halls. Kairi's emotions having become so disruptive they required her to be sedated so she could take a nap. In those few hours, the little girl was needing to process the good probability her father was never leaving that operating room. Kairi held her arms against her gut, restraining herself from an outpour of emotion and holding in her sickness. It had infected her then, her body ready to collapse under the pressure of the memory. She shivered, the power becoming too much. Weeping, she looked over to Midoriya.

The boy was curled into a fetal position, tears nonstop. Of course, he couldn't feel who he was crying for on his end. To Midoriya, all he could sense was the deepest grief, that a young child had to experience when their entire world was collapsing. He had no one person to imagine. All Midoriya was able to feel was a world-ending pain, a boulder holding him down with the belief of feeling abandoned and pinned forever. He wailed achingly, not understanding the depths of the emotion in his heart. Two hands flew to her mouth. She whispered her forgiveness in her head. Her father's bloodied face, the monitor flashing the message he was without a pulse. The dizziness. The emptiness. The weight of grief holding her still. The continued stabbing through her heart. Everything had ended in that moment. Nothing had mattered. The whole world had ended around her and she had no longer cared.

Midoriya's body was bucking. He almost looked possessed. Kairi kept her eyes on him reluctantly. She wanted to break this, wanted a happy memory. But she needed to. To strength herself. To strengthen him. To strength the class. To become heroes.

The class hung against the edge of the barrier, looking down at the spectacle. Not a single word was said.

"Midoriya!" Kairi screamed, her own regret wriggling into her past grief. But the boy wasn't keeping himself down. Slowly, he wiped at his tears and pulled himself to his trembling feet. Determination eyes stared her down, though they were still puffy. As his borrowed emotion still freely flowed, he began to pick up his pace. Feet gained speed, supercharged by his quirk. Kairi shook her head, backing away from his impending attack. He had grieved, but the attack hadn't kept him down. Kairi swore silently. Of course. After everything that had happened to him last year, Midoriya had proved once thing; _nothing_ kept him down. The worst thing to ever happen to Kairi hadn't been enough. Her chest sunk as she understood the answer – she would not be winning this fight. At best, all they could come to is an impasse. Kairi ran.

The issue was, Kairi was stealthy and could move fast. However, thanks to his quirk, Midoriya was faster than her, and the adrenaline-fueled determination that flowed through her did nothing to help her situation. He felt her focused mind and began to gain on her. Kairi stumbled over herself, pushing to move faster. Midoriya cried out, springing back his arm at the surprise of all his classmates. Kairi turned back, her face gaping in horror as she began to feel the defeat come down on her.

Midoriya's arms took a hold of quickly, and she was ready to buck and kick her way to avoid being pinned. There was no aggression in his movements. His arm had done nothing more than grab her and then pull her close, unexpectedly. For the shortest moment, Kairi' mind froze. For the sweetest moment, all emotion had left her as the circuits in her shorted in their attempt to process what Midoriya had done. Kairi remained still, not a cell in her was daring to move. Midoriya moved his other arm and tightened his grip.

Izuku Midoriya had pulled Kairi Hoshino into a hug. And she was frozen.

"Uh," was the only word she could find.

"We have a minute left," he told her. "As long as you're okay with it, don't let go until the alarm rings."

"Mid... oriya?" slowly came Kairi's confused voice.

From the viewing spot, the class of 2-A buzzed with confusion.

"What is he doing?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Is he hugging her?" questioned Todoroki.

"Why can't that be me?!" cried Mineta hysterically as he ran between the rows of students. Aoyama looked over to the red-faced Uraraka, smiling.

"Jealous?" he simply asked.

"What?!" she rasped, growing redder.

"What?!" echoed Bakugo. "Are you kidding me?! He had a chance to crush her and the nerd _hugs_ her?! What are you playing at, Deku?!" he screamed as he beat his fists against the paneling in front of him.

"Aww, that's so nice of him!" said the voice of Hagakure.

"Hmm, unexpected to be sure," remarked Iida with a smile. "But whatever the reason for it seems to have worked. Hoshino has been frozen into silence."

"What do you know?" admired All Might from where he still stood beside Aizawa.

"He recognized something deeper than the other students did," said Aizawa.

"Typical Midoriya."

He hadn't stopped to let go. Kairi made no move to return the hug. Her hands remained at her sides and Midoriya arms were still wrapped around her shoulders. When her mind began to slowly turn again, confusion took the forefront.

"You could still win!" she whispered.

"This isn't the kind of fight I want to win," he told her.

"You don't... want to fight me?" she quietly said. "But... that makes me feel... worse. You don't deem me a worthy opponent?!"

"That's not it," Midoriya said. "As a matter of fact, I do consider you worthy. But when your pain is so intense it's strong enough to bring another person down, you need to know you're not alone in this." Fresh tears feel from Kairi's eyes and her arms raised to reach around him. Sniffles muffled against his shoulder.

"Why, Midoriya? You could have won against me."

"This isn't the way I want I win," he told her quietly. "I don't enjoy kicking people when they're down. You are not a villain, Hoshino. You are someone with a quirk that is hard to control who has also seen a lot of pain. You have experience to make your quirk powerful, but that doesn't mean it has to be villainous. You can make your quirk work for good. You can use your emotions to help others. You are hurting, but you are not evil. Getting control of a quirk is not easy, but it is completely possible."

"But I hurt you."

"You're only trying to prove you are stronger than your quirk. Strong enough to be a hero." He tightened his grip. Just a few more seconds. "You are not alone in your suffering. In this class, you will never be alone. You have people you can count on, people who will be there to listen when you are hurting. People who can build you up and help you become stronger. And even if they don't, then I will. I won't let you suffer alone." Kairi's weeps burst into sobs, flowing in melody with the sound of the alarm. Still, Midoriya did not let go of her as All Might declared the match a draw and neither person moved. Her body shook with the weight of her emotion, and Midoriya's eyes welled along with her.

"Midoriya..." she sputtered out. "I can't remember the last time I was hugged by someone who wasn't my father!"

"You're always welcome to more," he laughed. "And not just by me..." The sobbing Kairi finally broke away from him and turned her tired eyes to her class. With the exception of a couple of them, they yelled down victoriously from their viewing spot, clapping and shouting excitedly for the end of the fights. A few of them jumped up and down. Kairi smiled at them, cheeks aglow with pride. "You're welcome to call me Izuku by the way." She swiftly turned back to him, eyes bright in awe at the invitation.

"You won't feel... disrespected?"

"Not at all! That's what friends do." Kairi's eyes grew bigger. Her smile broke into a laugh. Izuku motioned for her to walk alongside him as they walked towards the outside of the stadium.

"Well then," she laughed brightly, feeling lighter than ever before. "Call me Kairi."


	10. Aftercare

The results of the fights were eleven losses, two draws, six wins (though she didn't want to count the fight with Kaminari as a win), and one undetermined to Bakugo's dismay. While the defeats heavily outweighed the victories, she was still proud at having been able to beat a few of those in the famous class of 2-A. For the most part, the concerns of her peers seemed to vanish, Izuku's hugging Kairi proving to empower and inspire more than just her. Aizawa and All Might gave some closing thoughts before they officially dismissed class. Recovery Girl took Kairi to the Infirmary for a more thorough inspection and fixed up the rest of her minor wounds. With a little more color in her patchwork of scrapes, bruises, and nicks, Kairi was released to the dorm. While she would be mostly healed over in just a few days thanks to her handiwork, she was still given some simple after care instructions. Kairi was released and Iida took it upon himself to personally make sure she got to the dorm safely, though there was no reason she wouldn't. A good portion of the class was waiting in the common gathering area when she walked in the door, a few of them greeting her enthusiastically and clapping when she entered. Kairi blushed as she was lifted on their praise. It was warm and soothing, what she was feeling from them. The feeling was going to be very quickly addicting. She hoped she remembered it fondly.

"Six wins!" Yaoyorozu repeated. "Do you know how amazing that is?"

"Six wins out of twenty is less than fifty percent," Kairi reminded her.

"Yes, but last year, as first years, almost everyone won their provisional hero licenses the first time around," Iida reminded. Todoroki, who had been standing near the couch, looked less amused than he had before. "For everyone in one class to do that alone is an accomplishment, but it's nearly unheard of for first years to do so."

"And you won against six of them!" Hagakure was heard saying enthusiastically.

"Don't rule out the one who were close, and the draws," Midoriya added.

"Thanks," Kairi answered sheepishly.

"How are you? Are you feeling okay?" asked Tsu from the crowd.

"Yeah. The school has given me the next two days off from classes to stay behind and recover since I got so worn out. And I need to make sure my wounds are clean, though they shouldn't stick around for too long. They're all pretty minor except..." her free hand went to her bandaged elbow. "I need to change the bandage of this one and keep it clean. It will heal but there's going to be scarring, I guess."

"Bakugo was out of line," Iida told her. Kairi shook her head.

"It's my fault. He made me mad and I wanted him to pay so I made sure to give him an emotion that was certain to tick him off. Except sometimes emotions cloud your judgment and he just got angry and acted. I did it to myself."

"But that was part of this," said Uraraka. "We were meant to learn how to control ourselves, and Bakugo failed at that."

"You're not going to get that immediately after the first time," Kairi said. "It will take time. That's fine though. I'm looking forward to normal schooling for a little bit myself. Today was..." she walked towards the center and slowly lowered herself into the couch. The tender tightness stiffened through her and the mild aches could be read on her face. "Tough, to put it mildly."

"What are you going to do with your time off?" asked Izuku.

"Homework. I had to promise to stay on top of my homework," Kairi groaned. As she walked past the group, her eyes stuck to Midoriya. He grinned proudly at her and she found a smile. Her eyes seemed to tell him thanks before she walked upstairs to her dorm room.

After collecting a few toiletries, Kairi headed to the communal bathroom. Silently, she thanked the gods that they had thought to include a couple of bathtubs in this dorm. Being as prestigious as UA was, they could afford it. Right now, her muscles were crying out for a soothing bath. She drew the water and submerged relaxing salts before sinking herself in. Careful not to drop her bandaged elbow in the water, she soaked herself for nearly an hour before she decided to clean up. It was difficult, making sure her arm avoided the water. After some clumsy success, she dried herself off and put on a change of comfier clothes, picking up the discarded superhero suit from the floor. Kairi carried her items back to the room and merely flopped onto her bed, not even bothering to shut the door to her room. The mattress curved around the throbs singing through her, pulling her into the deepness of it. Trying as hard as she could, she pulled the book they had been assigned and attempting to multi-task; relaxing and refusing to move from her bed while trying to get some homework done. The phantom siren call of sleep was too much to resist and Kairi fell into it.

It wasn't clear what time it was when the angry roar tore into her stomach. The room was dark and it took a few blinks before Kairi could manage the outlines of the objects in her room. Her stomach erupted again with aggression. She moaned and shifted into a sitting position, clenching her needy gut. The light of her phone made her squint when she grabbed it, seeing she had a few text messages. One was from her father, asking her how the day went. The others were a chain of texts from her classmates.

_I saw you had fallen asleep on your bed when the door open. So I picked up your book, turned off the light, and shut the door for you. I know the day was probably exhausting so I thought it best to let you sleep. Hope it's all right I went in there and did all that for you! – _Yaoyorozu

_Yaoyorozu told us you fell asleep. We thought you might be hungry when you wake up so we left some of our extra food for you in the fridge!_ – Uraraka

_I baked some cookies. I left a few for you in the fridge. _– Sato

The texts from her classmates alone were enough to cause an array of fluttering inside. It was the message from Sato that was particularly interesting. She had beaten him, and still he was giving her some baked goods. Already, she was finding this class different than her last one, though there was a deepening core that reminded her they were only just starting to get to know her. They hadn't been around her when she couldn't hide her deep sadness or felt like she was going to tear herself out of her body from the raging panic inside. With time, they may decide they didn't want her around. For now, however, she decided she would take comradery while it lasted. Feeling light and warm, Kairi stepped into her light green slippers and headed down to the common area. A quick scan over the fridge let her to the packaged container with her name written on it. Bright red from the joy she felt at the consideration of her peers, she hummed to herself. Kairi spent a few moments heating up the pork and sautéed vegetables when she heard the sound of a door opening. Attention drawn, her eyes were pulled in the direction of the noise, followed by her heavy sigh. Sour-faced and clearly annoyed, Bakugo stared at her.

"I'll be out of your way in a moment," she said quickly. Her body tensed and heightened, ready to leave as soon as possible.

"Good," he snarled and then quieted. The awkwardness of the silence built and the pads on Kairi's feet were growing louder with screams to run back to her room as possible. She bounced impatiently, waiting. Bakugo groaned angrily. "Hurry it up!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she snapped, wincing at her own tone.

"Knock it off!"

"Knock what off?"

"Whatever you're doing with that quirk of yours."

"Okay, seriously?" she sneered, that eagerness to flee beginning to roll into a new emotion. "You _know_ I can't just turn off my quirk."

"It's getting on my nerves! Don't you know how invasive that is?"

"Believe me, I know! I would stop it if I could!" She begged herself to stop. The anxiety of being watched, of knowing how much he hated her and was nearby, it was all compounding into something closer to paranoia. A paranoia Bakugo was beginning to feel, making everything worse.

"How long does it take to heat up some food?!" Kairi removed the heated plate of food from the microwave and grabbed a water bottle and a couple of the cookies Sato left for her. Making sure Bakugo caught sight of her fuming tears, she brushed by him. The bottle slipped from her grip and fell at the base of the steps – right in front of the feet of two of the boys who had come down to see the commotion. Iida and Todoroki. Her chest tightened and she bent her head to hide her tears. Iida paused in front of her, lips pursed with concern.

"Bakugo, I suggest you finish up what you are doing. In case you have forgotten, it's lights out," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," said the angered boy. He walked past them, lightly shoving Kairi out of his way. She grunted as she was shoved away and scowled at him as he headed up the stairs. Distasteful words hung on her lips, hissing through her teeth. Iida placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture that was telling her to wait. Todoroki stood behind him, looking between them awkwardly.

"Are you all right?" Iida asked when he was safely out of an earshot. Kairi nodded, but the rolling in her gut was obvious to them. She stepped aside, allowing Todoroki to walk through. He remained quiet but kept his grey eye on them as he stepped into the small kitchen area. "Don't take it personally. Bakugo has always had a short fuse."

"It sounded pretty personal," she breathed quietly. Todoroki rescued several bottles of water from the fridge, cradling them against his chest.

"I'm certain he will get over it," Iida said. While his words were true, Kairi's own feelings were causing him to sound less genuine. "Bakugo is probably still upset about today."

"Yeah," Kairi whispered, unconvinced. Iida tapped her shoulder again.

"Get some rest. You need it. Were you and Bakugo the only ones down here?"

"Yeah, the common area is empty."

"Both of you make sure you're in your dorms then," he nodded. He scanned the area around them quickly just to be sure and then walked with them up the stairs. Iida told them good night on the third floor, with another reminder to head straight into their dorm rooms.

Kairi and Todoroki walked beside each other to the next floor, both silently carrying their items. He looked over at her, searching her face for some sort of response. She remained quietly looking at her feet.

"Do you need to talk about something?" he finally asked.

"What?" she replied in shock, looking over at him. "I... no. I'm fine, Todoroki."

"Your quirk says you're not," he said bluntly. She snapped a warning glance at him. "I'm sorry, that was probably too blunt. You're not, but that doesn't mean you need to talk about it. You might want to. Eventually. It might be good for you."

"Have you noticed the last conversations we've had with just us have been you telling me to talk to someone?" Her voice was muffled, but it was also light with joking. He smirked, amused by the remark.

"Maybe I should find more topics to talk to you about then," he said. "And learn to stay out of your business."

"It's fine. You're right, really. Not that I expected everyone in this class to like me but Bakugo... he really hates me," she said, as they turned onto the fifth floor. The both of them paused, standing just in the middle of the landing area before the separate entrances to the dorm wings.

"He isn't really fond of anyone," he told her. "He gets upset at everything. You're not any different."

"Yeah."

"Have a good night, Hoshino." Without another word, Todoroki left her and made his way toward the boys' wing. Kairi turned away towards the other direction and entered her room. Slippers kicked away from her and she set up a spot on her bed; food to her left and her laptop open in front of her. The newest video in her subscription line up played while she began to enjoy a very late dinner. On any other night she would start to settle in for bed. After a long nap and knowing she could sleep in the next day, she was giving herself a couple extra hours. The phone on her bed buzzed near her bare foot, causing her to jump in surprise. Kairi took the phone and her pupils widened at the screen.

_I forgot to ask; how's your elbow?_ – Todoroki.

Both fingers flying, she tapped out a response.

_It's itchy and sore. It's like this dull throbbing and it's annoying and inconvenient. I guess it would have felt worse right now if not for Recovery Girl._ – Kairi.

A moment passed and her phone buzzed again.

_It should be all right in a couple of days then. _– Todoroki.

_Taking a bath with this thing on was a production._ Kairi hissed and flushed red, seeing the message had already been sent. _Sorry._

_ It's fine. People take baths. _– Todoroki.

_What were you doing anyway?_

_ I was going to restock my fridge with some water. Then I heard yelling and it felt rude to go in there until I saw Iida running down there._

_ You heard all of that?_

_ Yes. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude._

_ I know. It's fine. _Several moments passed and Kairi set her phone aside, decided he had said everything he had wanted to. Another ten minutes passed into her video and the phone's vibration startled her again. She flipped opened the newest message from Todoroki.

_It's your quirk. No one else's. No one else can tell you who you are or what to do with your quirk. It may scare some people. That's going to happen no matter what. But if you choose to use it for good, if you decide you want to be hero than that's who you are. Midoriya told me that_.

She blinked at the words, heart halting and then melted at how deep they sunk. Her hands froze around the phone and trembled as she typed out the next response.

_He did? _– Kairi.

_Yes. I had trouble with my own quirk last year. _-Todoroki.

_Could you not control it?_

_ No. I had control of it. It was different than yours. I don't feel like getting into it._

Another moment passed.

_You can get control of it. You know how to handle yourself. You have a lot of training you need to do yet but it's clear you learned some things in your class. You already have some control of your quirk, being able to change your mood quickly like that. I have no doubt you will be able to get better control of it soon._

_It means a lot to hear that._

_ It's just what I observed. _ Kairi smiled. Another buzz. _By the way, Recovery Girl was decent looking. That's simply one opinion, though. Who knows, there may still have been one or two people who faked being injured to get a kiss. _ She giggled.

_It would be inappropriate to ask but it's funny to think about!_

_ Get some sleep. Recovery Girl's efforts will work much faster that way._

_ I will. Don't stay up too late. You still have to wake up for class in the morning!_

_ Yes, I do. Have a good night, Hoshino._ She put her phone aside and it remained silent the rest of the night. She spent the remainder of her night on her computer, watching another couple of hours of videos before trying to sleep again. With a lightness glowing in her, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	11. Carried by Exhaustion

It was unclear what the reason was for Kairi being able to sleep so deeply; it could be because she was so exhausted she simply passed out. It could have been the lack of using her alarm, emotional exhaustion, or it could have been the previous day allowing for the revelation that her classmates were genuinely accepting her as one of their own. It was too early for her to really accept it was going to last. Her last class had been open to her and then a month of struggling led to their hatred of her. When the new term started, they hadn't even taken time to know her. Come the end of May, they had already decided they couldn't handle her and pawned her off to someone else.

She hadn't been with her class that long, and Kairi was preparing for the moment they decided she was too much. Bakugo already had. Sadly, she dressed into a pale blue sweater and purple leggings. Pensively, her mind disappeared into her thought as memory moved the brush over her dark hair. It wouldn't be long, she felt. They would discard her like the others. They acted nice and friendly now, and she genuinely believed they wanted to be. But it was hard to ignore the crimping she felt inside, the dreaded waiting for when the pin finally dropped. As tight as she felt, she still allowed that hopefulness to inflate and carry her freely. Regret would sink in. She would hate herself for allowing herself to become so positive. She would hole herself up in her room again and zone in on nothing but studies again, giving up on friendships. It felt so good though. She wanted to believe they would be different. She wanted to just take this moment, however long it was, to briefly be friends with people who were trying. It would eventually fizzle out. Was it so wrong that she was allowing herself to be sucked into the moment? Was it immoral she was associating with people she knew would eventually detest her, that she would eventually mess with their emotions and cause them to question their own sanity? What sort of person was she that she decided to endure, even though it would only lead to emotional destruction? Was it sadism? Was it masochism? Could it possibly be both?

Sighing, she placed the brush down and peered in her personal mini fridge that each of the rooms were supplied with. She gathered a few of the ingredients she kept in it and carried them down to the kitchen section of the common area. Perhaps it was a little paranoid to not keep many items in the common fridge, but food theft was a favorite crime of high school kids.

Kairi spent time, preparing steamed rice and rolling an omelet, preparing toast as she did. After a quick and filling breakfast, she pulled up her text messages and took time to finally answer her father. Briefly giving him details, she tucked her phone away and decided to crack open a few of her books. The letters and numbers already began to swirl together. Giving up for the moment, she opened her phone again and found several internet videos to distract her, as she often did.

Time ticked on. Her mind calmed while the strain of the previous events reminded her of the exhaustion that still resided in her body. The muscles aches weren't nearly as prominent, but every movement was quietly tight. Then there was that damned elbow pain. The burning was considerably less, but the pain wasn't completely gone. Hugging her phone in half sleep, Kairi listened to the soothing tones of the background music in the latest episode of the show she binged. Legs pulled to her chest on the couch and the afternoon took her away in sleep.

The class walked back, discussing the latest drama and the one ridiculous thing Kaminari decided to pull in class. Iida was excited for the latest homework, while the others begged him to be quiet about the reminders.

"We should have a game night!" Ashido happily said, stepping between Yaoyorozu and Hagakure's uniform.

"You think that's a good idea with it being a school night?" asked Tsu.

"We won't have it too late," Hagakure's empty school clothes asked. "You in, Uraraka?" The girl with the light brown hair nodded.

"Are you planning... a slumber party?" Mineta asked with suspicious curiosity, his form almost vibrating from the anticipation of the answer. Yaoyorozu scoffed and ignored the questioned.

"Hey, do you think maybe we should ask Hoshino?" she said. "I feel like she's felt pretty lonely since we started." The chattering continued as they stepped through the entryway into the dorm room, not yet noticing Kairi curled up on the couch.

"Yeah, well you have to expect someone like that to be lonely," Bakugo interrupted. "You can't get too close to someone like her."

"Her quirk can be pretty scary," agreed Kirishima. "But she doesn't really seem like the villainous type. She seems like she is just struggling to control it."

"Whatever, believe what you want. I'm not going to be caught dead working alongside that nerd."

"Maybe you just don't like that she made you feel something besides anger," Todoroki mumbled. The blonde-haired kid twitched and pivoted quickly.

"What was that?!"

"With that strong of a reaction, I'm guessing you didn't mishear me," Todoroki replied dully.

"Yeah?! And what's your problem?! Why do you feel the need to defend her?!"

"Kaachan, she's not a bad person. She's just had a rough time," Midoriya stepped in, trying to calm the situation before it rose again.

"Oh that's right. Deku, the savior, the one who always inspires people," Bakugo scoffed.

"How is that an insult...?" Iida said to himself.

"Of course he would see the good in everything! He was once a loser just like her! What, because you can overcome a quirk, you think everyone can?" Bakugo screamed.

"Why not?" Midoriya responded calmly.

"It's not just him, Bakugo," Yaoyorozu said. "We have all improved, greatly. Midoriya may have made the most improvement, but there's no reason Hoshino can't get better control of her quirk either."

"Seems to me her emotions are so strong because of all tough issues she's had to face in life," Tsu replied. "It's no wonder she has trouble controlling herself, given everything she's seen. She might just need a few friends right now."

"Tch!" Bakugo hissed. "You're really going to be friends with someone like her? Fine, if that's the death wish you want to make!"

"Come on!" Kirishima said. "You ought to be able to beat someone like her!"

"Of course I can beat her!" Iida watched him suspiciously as if he sensed a hesitation in his voice.

"Then you really don't have anything to worry about do you?" Todoroki added. The angered blonde turned away from them, and stressed eyes widened at the form of the girl asleep on the couch. He smirked.

"Well, what do you know? The precious little loner you all have decided to defend has passed out on the couch. What a loser. She clearly couldn't handle the exercise." Without another word, he escaped them and decided to follow a few of his other classmates up into the dorm rooms.

"So, because her quirk is too strong, she's dangerous. But she's weak because she's worn out after fighting twenty people in a day and passing out the day after?" Uraraka questioned, exchanging glances with her peers.

"Seems to me he's just scared," Iida said softly. "And he's acting out to defend his nature, to hide his fear. Ignore him."

"So what do we do with her?" Tsu asked. "Should we wake her up?"

"I'm not fond of that idea," Iida answered. "She was given today and tomorrow off to rest, that's exactly what she should be doing."

"We're going to wake her up on accident if she stays down here. We'll need the kitchen, and some of us may want to study down here," Yaoyorozu said.

"Okay..." Mineta breathed, proudly holding out his chest heroically. "I'll do it! I will be the one to carry her to her bedroom! I will take her slumbering body into my arms and hold her with care. Heroically, I will carry her to her bedroom and I will rest her on her bed! And then I will... I will..." The next portion of his sentence was disturbingly too exciting for him, his face began to twitch and he trembled his contained excitement. Before he could whatever monstrosities he was about to describe, Tsu slapped her long frog tongue against his shoulder.

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence, you pervert!" Ashido yelled angrily. Mineta moaned and sadly dropped his head. Following the rest of them, he made his way to his dorm. Todoroki was already pulling away from the rest of them still standing in the entryway. He pressed a hand against her shoulder and tapped her three times.

"Hey, Hoshino," he said lowly. "You're going to get a cramp in your neck if you sleep here."

"Mmnnggg," was all that could be heard.

"Hosh..." he groaned. "Kairi. Wake up." All he managed to get out of her was another groan and a small movement. Todoroki looked towards the rest of the group, who only met him with several shrugs.

"I suppose there's no harm if we just left her here..." Iida started. Mineta peered around the edge of the wall looking down the steps, as if Iida was about to say something magical.

"No harm, huh?" Ashido asked. Todoroki looked back down at the sleeping Kairi. His shoulders dropped deeply with his reluctant sigh as if her were giving in.

"If no one else is going to do anything..." he said, and he leaned over her. Being incredibly careful to not touch her in any way that could be seen as indecent, he slipped one arm under her knees and one around her back. Her head fell against his shoulder at the same moment Ashido's mouth and eyes gaped. It wasn't clear, but the way Hagakure's sleeves were pressed against her chest seemed to indicate she was holding her hands to her heart.

"She is so lucky!" came her voice.

"I can't believe she's sleeping through this!" exclaimed the pink girl.

"Todoroki! Make sure you're not touching her inappropriately!" Iida yelled nervously. Uraraka and Midoriya watched the scene with red face as well. Half of the students appeared shocked, especially the girls. Those still heading up the stairs watched in wonder as Todoroki began to ascend.

"Do you really think I am the one to worry about?" the duo haired boy called back, with a judgmental eye in Mineta's direction. "Yaoyorozu! If her door is locked, can I leave her in your room?"

"Uh, yeah, that's fine! I'll get her stuff and be up in a minute!" Her voice was breathless as she still tried to take in the surprising scene that had just played out in front of her. Effortlessly, Todoroki rounded the set of stairs until he reached the 5th floor, stopping just in front of her room. He paused and shifted his arm to awkwardly grab the doorknob. He stiffened as he felt her nails dig against his shirt, scraping against him. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the punctures. It was the whimper that startled him. That whimpered that rushed him as he tried to work quickly. She decided not to lock it behind her, which only made sense considering she was probably not expecting to fall asleep before everyone else had gotten home. He didn't take a moment to inspect anything. With one goal in mind, Todoroki delicately placed her on her bed and slipped his hands out from under her. He looked over at a crumpled blanket and snatched it from its place on the floor. Her whimper became more audible and Todoroki froze again.

"Mom, please..." she whispered. He stopped. The blanket was twisted in his grasp, but he hadn't moved. He merely stared at her, as if the words had some power over him. "Please just love me... I'm sorry I'm a disappointment. I didn't mean to hurt you..."

A montage of memories played through Kairi's mind. Mrs. Hoshino would happily agree to play with her daughter, until she got frustrated. Mrs. Hoshino would run from the room, stopping the play. Tabitha Hoshino would try to tend to her daughter when she was sick, but eventually felt weary, emotional, and upset as well. She became irritated when she started school and complained about the way the children mistreated her. Eventually, she just began to make meals for her separate from her and her husband. She would not look at Kairi. She would not respond to her cries. Her anger could be heard at night when she screamed at her husband for the way Kairi made her feel. She couldn't do anything to help when she was down without also feeling down. She could not make her daughter happy when she wasn't happy.

Tabitha avoided her. Tabitha dismissed her. At most, she would give her a fake smile and tell her "be happy," though it was always clearly fake. Tabitha worked late. She would call her and that was the most genuine she felt, talking to her on the phone. Phone calls were the best moments. But she never saw her at home. She was always one room over. She would run from Kairi. She would scream from the other room. She never hugged her, never kissed her face. Kairi cried out for her mother, while her father begged Tabitha to just give her attention once in a while. "It's your duty to love your child," he would yell. "You chose to have her. You chose to be a mother. So follow through on that choice."

She drew away even further. Kairi grew deeper into darkness. Her frantic fears worsened. She wanted her mother, more than anyone else. The light around Tabitha faded as the echoes around her blurred and flattened. Mumbles, garbles swam in Kairi's ears. The darkness hung around them. The light shrunk, and Tabitha's back faded from view. Kairi's cries echoed as she held out her arms, grabbing at empty air. Sweat moistened her face and heat reddened it. Her body involuntarily tensed and ached as it collapsed within. Energy fell around her and pushed against her. She couldn't move. She was left on the ground, crawling towards the now absent light. Her screams grew louder. Kairi's father called out, holding onto her shoulders.

"KAIRI!" The voice was unfamiliar, and it terrified her enough that her eyes snapped open. Her body was cold and warm at once, hair stuck to the lines of sweat on her face. Kairi's chest fell quickly with her panicked breaths. Two blinks of her eyes told her she was in her bedroom at school, and that kid with the duo-colored hair stood over her. His stance of hands against his sides told her he had remained calm, but his face was stricken with desperate concern.

"Uh... shit..." she groaned, embarrassment blossoming. Kairi pushed the blanket aside and pulled herself into a sit. "I did it again, didn't I?"

"Do you often scream in your sleep?" he asked. She shrugged.

"It's not a common thing, but it's not unheard of. It usually happens when I've had a day of particular stress."

"That makes sense, considering yesterday." Scanning the room and Todoroki's presence, her short-term memory reminded her she had recently been on the couch, falling asleep. Piecing it together, she blushed, turning away. "Nothing happened, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, I'm not embarrassed because I think that," she murmured. Kairi's hand flew to tangle the piece of blue in her hair. "I just feel bad for being an inconvenience. Honestly, it's more distressing everyone probably saw me asleep and you had to hear me scream in my sleep."

"Don't worry about it," he told her coolly. "If it makes you feel better, Mineta wanted to carry you. I thought you would prefer I do it." Her heart chilled.

"Yeah, that's a correct assessment on that one." Todoroki rocked awkwardly in his step. "I suppose you want to know about the dream."

"It isn't my place," he said. No further comment. Kairi lifted her head with surprise, waiting for some speculation or probing questions he didn't seem to care to ask. Her gut warmed with relief. She chuckled.

"No response to talk to someone about it then?" He smirked.

"You're the one who said it this time." The desperation of pleading went unsaid, building tension as Todoroki felt the intensity she did. Her feelings drew him in. She silently wished he would stay, begging for an emotional connection with at least one of her classmates. One that was genuine, rather than a reflection of her own. He remained in his spot, desire mirroring hers. Guilt ate into her as she felt selfish for the way her feelings caused him to hang back. The quiet grew, and a small voice distracted them.

"Hoshino?" said Yaoyorozu from the open door. She dropped a few books and notepads in front of her, then a clatter of utensils and her phone onto her bed. "I gathered your items for you." Kairi warmed. Todoroki relaxed.

"Thanks, Yaoyorozu," she told her. The girl nodded and looked between them. Feeling the height of tension in the room, she hurried away from them. Kairi's head dropped, wincing at yet another instance of someone running from the feelings she projected.

"I can stay," Todoroki offered.

"No!" she was quick to protest. "Go. Hang with your friends, do homework, whatever it is you normally do."

"You... seem like you want me to though." Kairi gulped, knowing there was no lying out of that feeling. He knew it instantly.

"I do," she said. "But I mean... I guess I always want everyone to stay. This time isn't any different and it's not as if I favor you over anyone for any reason."

"I get it," Todoroki said, looking over at the collection of photos on her walls. Many of them were of when she was younger, with both parents. The older she seemed to grow among the pictures, the less happy her mother appeared. There was a falsehood in the way her father smile, he at least seemed to try. Eventually, she faded and it was just Kairi and her father. He lowered his head again and watched his feet, dropping his voice to a faint whisper. "You have no idea how much I get it."

"It's okay. Feel free to do what you want," Kairi practically begged, her heart torn between the pull of wanting someone to be there for her and hear what she had to say, but also fearing the inconvenience she would be putting on him if he did. It mattered to her, that people only stay if they wanted to. What sort of friend was that if they do so reluctantly? She longed for anyone to stay behind, the claws of desperation prying against her. But the guilt was too great, fearing it would only ever be because they could feel the depths of her aching, and would never truly be their choice.

"I promise, it isn't..." Todoroki started, halting on his sentence. "Listen, are you all right?"

"All right?" she asked, looking confused by the nature of the question.

"There _are_ things I had planned to do today. I would like to still get them done," he told her. "If you are going to be all right, I would like to get to them. But if you truly feel that you can't be alone, for any reason..." Todoroki lifted his gaze and held his mismatched eyes in her for a moment. A clear indication he wanted to make sure she understood every word that he was saying, that he was entirely serious. "And I mean any reason then I will stay. You don't even have to talk. But I'm not just going to let someone who is suffering go through it alone."

The weight of his words could almost be physically felt. Kairi hugged her knees while she kept her eyes on him, her body made still by the intensity of his offer. For whatever reason, he seemed less swayed by her emotions than the others. Stronger, it seemed. He clearly was still affected, but he seemed to have an easier time managing. Kairi swallowed, shock holding her. His candidness was almost too much to understand. Aside from her father, no one else had tried this hard to speak with her. Something about Todoroki almost seemed to _get it_. Like he knew what she meant. Shivering at her own disbelief, she finally gave him a nod.

"I'm fine. Go do your stuff, and thanks again Todoroki. I truly appreciate it."

"If you're sure," he said and took two steps before pausing. "It sounded like the girls were going to have a game night. They wanted to invite you." Her heart leapt. "Maybe that could help. Text one of them and see."

"Sure," she whispered. "I might just do that." He closed the door on his way out. Kairi fell back against her bed and inhaled deeply.

_What the hell was that?!_


	12. Inquiring Minds

The idea of hanging out with some of the girls that night had elated her for a moment. Only a moment. Then she considered what girls liked to do, according to her favorite shows; discussing crushes, revealing deep secrets, complaining about school, home lives, all those other people at school they couldn't stand. She didn't have anything to contribute to any of those things. She admired certain actors from afar but forced herself not to fall for anyone in her schools based on her own principles. Everyone already knew her feelings towards school and the way she affected those around her. Deep secrets, she wasn't ready to unpack that bursting suitcase. There was nothing to contribute, she convinced herself. Ultimately, fear drove her to tell Uraraka no when she asked. Too tired, she said. Truth was, she was caught in reflections of her dream she had. People seemed impossible to deal with. Her mother was on her mind too much. Her finger hovered over the recent texts they sent.

_Thinking of you. Miss you. I love you. _ – Kairi

It was almost lunchtime where her mother was. She wouldn't respond for several hours, if at all. But at least she said. She flopped back on her bed and considered continued her homework, but her mind was too mixed up. Again, she returned to her favorite friends, the ones on her streaming services who were fictional and unaware of her existence. They helped to numb everything inside and the bruises in the crevice of her mind were soothed with the balm they offered.

An hour in, and her phone pinged her again. She grabbed it and looked at the recently sent text. Todoroki. She breathed soothingly. Somehow, it felt better that it had come from him.

_You decided not to join the girls?_

Frantic hurried out a response.

_No. I don't think I'm up to a night of squeals and laughter and discussing crushes right now._

_That doesn't sound like a good time to me either, if I'm honest._

Kairi giggled, and then continued with her own text. _ I'm just exhausted and need to sleep. After another day of rest, I should be good to go._

Talking with Todoroki was proving to be easy. He just seemed like he understood, though she didn't know what it was that made her feel that way. He offered comfort without being pushy. He never seem like he was trying to pity her. And, he was reaching out to her. Which begged the question; _why_ was he reaching out to her? Kairi's gut twisted, and she was glad he was in his own room so he wouldn't feel what she did. Another blip resonated from her phone.

_Don't distance yourself. Time to yourself is important, but if you decide to lock and isolate yourself you may grow bitter. I am speaking from experience._

_ You were bitter?_

_ I believe I mentioned something similar. I was very angry and didn't associate much with my classmates. I only had one goal in mind. You can thank Midoriya for that too._

_ Wow, Midoriya really sounds like he's quite the guy. Sure you're not in love with him or something?_ A moment passed and Kairi tensed, wondering if she had said something rude.

_Lol. Thanks for that laugh. No, I'll leave that to Uraraka._ Kairi's eyes popped, but a knowing smirk found her mouth.

_Uraraka's in love with Midoriya?_

_I suppose it isn't as obvious to you as it is to the rest of us. Near the end of last year, a lot of us started to notice though they haven't revealed it to each other and no one has said a word around them. But we can all tell. _The notice didn't affect Kairi too much. Instead, all she could wonder about was why Todoroki was wasting time texting her. He wasn't exactly a loner it seemed, but he was less sociable than other students at the school. She hugged her knees and thought how best to ask, in a way that wouldn't be considered weird.

_Do you have a lot of homework?_

_ Some. Not a lot though. I'm actually ahead. There's been a lot less incidents this year, thankfully and that's made it easier to get some work done. Funny how homework doesn't seem as big of a deal after you spend a year where you and your classmates are nearly killed by different villains._

_ Yeah, I suppose. That's crazy though, that so much happened to you._

_ Hopefully it's just hero school this year and nothing else. We don't need any more trauma._

_ Everyone seems pretty happy, considering._

_ It helps we experienced it together, I think. But we have all had our fair share of counseling for it. Some people in the class are also helpful at encouraging others._

_ Sounds like a neat class. I hope I can fit in okay._

_ You will._ Kairi smiled at the last text and decided not to be any more of a bother to him. She settled in, able to attend closely to her homework with her mind settled. A half hour later and her phone buzzed again. She sighed, thinking it was Todoroki again. Except, it was another classmate.

_I know I know that you're tired and didn't want to hang out tonight but we HAVE to know! _Ashido had sent a rather enthusiastic text, and it was a group text of all things. Giving up on her book, Kairi tossed it aside and leaned against her pillow as they poured in, waiting for a long enough pause she could contribute.

_I bet he left you breathless! _ \- Hagakure

_I really think we should just leave her alone_ – Tsu

_Is he warm? I bet he's so warm! _– Ashido

_Hoshino, you don't have to reveal anything_ – Yaoyorozu

_Momo wouldn't tell us anything but she said the atmosphere was a little awkward! _– Ashido

_What on earth are you all talking about? –_ Kairi

_ TODOROKI! Isn't he a dream?_ – Hagakure

Kairi snickered at the stream of texts, covering her mouth and nose as she did. The shock sashayed her stomach, but the ridiculousness of it left her amused and confused.

_Is Todoroki supposed to be like the class heartthrob or something?_ – Kairi

_You mean you can't tell?! _– Hagakure

_Thought it would have been Iida or someone like him. _\- Kairi

_ Ew, no! I mean Iida is great but like he gets a little annoying_ – Ashido

_I guess I didn't see him that way? He's just another boy in class. He's nice, I can say that. _\- Kairi

_ What happened? _– Ashido

_Not that either of us need to tell you, but nothing. He told me to feel better and left. There was nothing romantic if that's what you're looking for. _ She decided it would be best to not inform them they had been texting, lest they assume that meant something. Todoroki probably texted everyone a lot anyway. She was no different.

_Really? Nothing else happened? _– Hagakure

_Well, unless you count when he gently placed a finger just under the tip of my chin and whispered softly to me how he would always be there to grant me aid should I ever need it of him. And if there was anything at all I ever needed of him, all I needed to do was ask. Emphasis on the "anything at all." _– Kairi

_WHAT?! REALLY?_ – Ashido

_Oh my goodness, that's so romantic!_ – Hagakure. Kairi's good arm threw back as she bucked with her laughter, her stomach pinching with joyful knots. A deep breath calmed her.

_Relax. I'm kidding_. _None of that happened. That was some scene from some silly sitcom I watched last week_ – Kairi

_HA! Serves you all right!_ – Jiro. Kairi wasn't even aware she was on the text chain.

_That wasn't funny! _– Ashido

_Maybe you shouldn't pry into people's business _– Tsu

Curiosities both satiated and disappointed, the text chain stopped and in fifteen minutes, her phone pinged again. Both irritated and pleased with her popularity for the night, Kairi opened another text from Todoroki.

_I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night but I thought I would give you a heads up in case he started asking you too. Mineta wanted to know all the details about me and you in your room alone. I am being vague about what he said for your benefit. _\- Todoroki

_ What did you tell him?_ \- Kairi

_ That we just talked for a little bit and I told him you desperately needed to rest. That little perv asked me some questions I shall not repeat but I told him I refused to answer any of them. He seemed to think my lack of desire of wanting to answer anything means something happened. I don't know what he thinks could have happened in five minutes._

_ For fuck's sake why does everyone want to know everyone's business! Like, okay, I expected this with Mineta but I just got a barrage of questions from the girls. Though it was less pervy and more like "omg he's such a prince he carried you so sweetly something romantic for sure happened UwU I'm like so jelly lol give me dem deetz."_

_ That sentence hurt my eyes to read._

_ It hurt just as much to type, I promise._

_ Well, it is high school. And the more mundane stuff is more interesting now that it doesn't feel like we're in some major battle with villains every two weeks._

_ I suppose. Thanks for the heads up and for being so respectful with your answers._

_ Of course. Have a good night. Make sure you sleep WELL._

With the incoming texts finally coming to an end, Kairi finally settled in with her homework. The late hour approached and she finally decided she should get to bed. Teeth brushed and clothes changed, she slipped into the covers. For one last time, her phone blipped and she picked it up, a text surprising her.

_Love you too_ – Mom

At least she replied this time.

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**If you have a better idea for how to represent text messages between characters, I would be happy to hear it. I assume students text each other/Snapchat/Message and gossip about high school stuff all the times these days (I don't know I didn't have a cell phone til I was a freshman in college) so there shall be much texting in this story.**

**Good lord, did I just reveal that I'm old-ish?**

**As always I appreciate reviews! (if you want :) )**


	13. Friendly Support

**Okay. This chapter is going to seem odd and VERY out of place, however I promise it has a purpose. This is going to be essential for a very important arc I have planned for MUCH later in the story. It seems strange but please bear with me. There are also some cutesy fluff moments in it so I hope you enjoy it as all.**

**Also because I know there are plenty of people out there bothered by this kind of thing, CONTENT WARNING IF YOU'RE AFRAID OF NEEDLES. I don't go into too much detail for the purpose of knowing some people may not feel comfortable reading about vaccines, but you may still want to skip this chapter if that is something that really bothers you. For the TL;DR skip to the end!**

**UPDATE 3/14/2020  
**

**Considering recent events in the world, I feel its important to address this chapter. Minor spoiler regarding the chapter but I feel it's vitally important I say this before anyone reads this chapter who is picking it up later; the premise of this chapter sets up something that will later begin an arch important to the story. The synopsis of this chapter is simply this - schools have been told that a virus is spreading across Japan and in order to quickly stop its spread, the children are to be vaccinated to prevent its spread. The reason I feel I need to address this is because when you break this chapter down, it is almost the discussion and prevention of a virus that had started and is spreading out from an Asian country. I am currently writing this update in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic - a virus that seems to have been started in an Asian country (China). Worded that way, it makes me look like a real asshole and insensitive. Because of this, I felt it was vitally important I get in front of this and leave a note. In retrospect, the presence of this chapter bothers me because it seems incredibly insensitive. I assure you, this chapter was written in September of 2019, posted in November of 2019, and COVID-19 was discovered in December 2019. I came up with the idea all on my own, and I was not inspired by anything, and it was posted one month before anything came out about this new coronavirus. This chapter becomes vital for a major plot point later but I felt very much that I owed it to people. Let's simply say, to avoid spoilers; the virus is not what people have been told it is. I am trying so so hard to be clear about what it actually is without spoilers because I know spoilers would really suck. **

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Two days off hadn't been enough. Recovery Girl's effort had reduced the pain in her elbow to mere itching and she only wrapped it minimally. The mild aches weren't so bad that she couldn't walk or move, but she still felt exhausted. Sometimes, her quirk simply wiped her out. Tsu and Yaoyorozu smiled and waved at her as they walked through the door. A couple of others acknowledged her, but most of them simply took their seats. Todoroki nodded in her direction when he walked through the door and she smiled for him.

"Finally back at it then?" Iida asked when he approached his desk. "Are you feeling better?"

"Enough to come to class," she said.

"You were able to stay on top everything with no trouble?"

"Yes, thank you Iida."

"Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are in need of studying, I am more than happy to help." She smirked.

"So you've said. Thank you though, I believe I have everything." Two stragglers hurried into the class and they took their seats. Mr. Aizawa trudged into the room and mumbled a greeting to them. The class half-heartedly mumbled their welcome. They also were not ready to be awake and at school, but at least the week was nearing its end.

"I have an announcement for everyone," he began, throwing a stack of papers on the desk. "It would seem there is some sort of virus going around. Seems like it's a pretty nasty one too, according to the reports that are coming through." Kairi perked up as the class rolled with hushed gasps and rumbled whispers.

"Is it dangerous?" Uraraka asked.

"Are we going to die?" Mineta said in a panic.

"Settle down!" Aizawa bellowed. "It sounds nasty and painful, they don't think it's fatal. It's affected a couple of schools in Kyoto but thankfully, doctors caught it early. Sounds like you get some cold-like symptoms, mixed with some upset stomach. More than anything your head feels like it's on fire and you're tired all the time. It last three months but it was caught ahead of time and a vaccine has already been created."

"June seems like an odd time for people to fall ill," Tsu observed.

"Be that as it may, we must be thankful it's been caught so early before it's spread past Kyoto. As a precaution, doctors want it to be wiped out before it can spread farther. There's a team coming in later today to both draw blood from you and administer the vaccine. They need the blood to test it to make sure you're not a carrier."

"A carrier?" asked Izuku.

"If you're already a carrier, then there's nothing that can be done and you will fall ill eventually. After you've been sick once you will essentially be immune, but you can still give it to others. If everyone is vaccinated against it though, once those who fall ill feel better we, the hope is the virus will be wiped out before it becomes out of control." Iida raised his hand. "Yes, Iida?"

"Sir, forgive me if I am wrong, but doesn't this just sound like mononucleosis?" he asked.

"It has similarities, yes," Aizawa said. "But it sounds as if this virus is more brutal. And I understand whereas mononucleosis is spread through... exchanging saliva..." A few people in class snickered, though it wasn't clear if it was because of the idea of the _kissing disease_ as it was unfairly called, or the visceral way Aizawa reacted to saying "exchanging saliva." "This sounds as if it's airborne. You will all be vaccinated after lunch. As I assume you all want to actually spend your summer outside, I suggest you participate."

Kairi shifted uncomfortably, recalling several doctors' visits when they were still figuring out her quirk and how to best handle it. When she would panic and the staff would panic as a result. There were times when the only way they could get her to calm down was to mildly sedate her. She rippled at the memory, of the needle being jabbed against her skin. Imagining the sharp prick caused her to hiss and coil her fingers. A muffled beating echoed aggressively against her chest and her vision blurred as she tried to blink away the images. So, she wasn't the only one in the world afraid of needles. It was a very common fear. Didn't help the intensity that was coursing through her at the moment.

The class sensed it, becoming antsy in their seats. Immediately, predictably, they looked her direction. Kairi gripped the edge of the desk, reminding herself to focus. Aizawa's words drowned out and she became to sway. She vaguely recalled someone calling her name, but was unsure of who it was. Her held tilted, her eyes last catching Aizawa fleeing from his desk and running just before her face smacked against the top of the desk.

When her breathing was steady again and the blackness faded, she was stretched out on the ground with Aizawa leaning over. Yaoyorozu's knees held up her head while the others stood over her in a wide circle, giving her space. Iida was directing the rest to stay back, advising them with authoritative tone.

"Hoshino," Aizawa said calmly. "How's your head?"

"It... stings a bit," she stammered, blinking her awareness back into view. Her chest still burned with every breath. Her panic knocked the wind out of her. She turned her head and saw Yaoyorozu looking down at her with concern knitted through her grin.

"Can you walk?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's fine, guys. I just fainted, that's all." Kairi slowly lifted herself and her held fell against the front of her uniform. She withdrew, noticing it was slimy and damp. She squeaked, horrified by whatever the hell dampened the front of her clothes. "What... is this?"

"Sorry," Tsu warbled. "I saw you were about to fall so I grabbed you with my tongue." Her shoulders fell. Usually Kairi wasn't fond of people slobbering on her without her permission, but as she might have fallen and hurt herself, she decided to forgive Tsu.

"Oh. Thanks," she whispered, pulling herself back up.

"Perhaps you weren't ready to come back to school," Aizawa sighed, standing up.

"No! No, I am!" Kairi protested. "I... I just... I _really_ don't like... ne... needles..." Her voice grew small as she forced out the words. Bakugo threw back his head as he guffawed loudly. Kairi stared at him while her abdomen boiled aggressively.

"Seriously? You still think she has what it takes to be a hero?!" he cackled.

"Shut up..." Todoroki mumbled, appearing rather annoyed.

"People have fears, Bakugo. Both rational and irrational," Aizawa said. "You didn't hurt yourself when you fell?"

"No. I think I bumped my head on my desk, but sounds like Tsu saved me." She threw the green haired girl a grateful grin. Tsu brightened proudly. "I'm okay. Just need to get through the rest of the day. Once I receive the vaccine, I'll be fine."

"Would you feel more comfortable if you went first or last?"

"F... first," she stumbled. "Get it over with as soon as possible."

"I can see if I can arrange that."

"I can go with you if that would make you more comfortable," Yaoyorozu said, now getting to her feet since Kairi was done using her as a pillow. She offered a hand to the girl and helped her stand. For a moment, she paused to check if she were still dizzy. When it was confirmed her feet were solid, Kairi sighed happily.

"Sorry, I usually have more warning when I'm getting an injection." Mineta snickered. Ashido glared at him threateningly. Kairi turned to Yaoyorozu. "Are you sure? The thing is... my quirk... I might make you nervous. And honestly I..." she scanned the room again, the color of beets rising in her face. "I don't think one is enough. My dad usually has to work with a couple of nurses to hold me down because I get so... worked up. Plus I mean... my quirk might make things worse."

"Fear of needles is very common," Aizawa continued. "The team that's coming in is aware of this, and they are trained to deal with those who are fearful and have quirks. Since quirks can manifest in interesting ways when people are scared, you will have a card with your name, blood type, and quirk on it. They know how to deal with this, Hoshino."

"If you need more than one person to come with you, I am sure more people will be willing to go with," Yaoyorozu said.

"I can help," Izuku said happily, stepping forward with a cheerful smile. It was surprising to her how genuine his smile looked considering how she was still shaking slightly.

"You said it was your dad and _two_ nurses?" Todoroki asked, and he also stepped forward. "Sure, I can help too." Hagakure's squeal was barely audible from the empty-looking uniform of where she stood.

"If you're all sure..." Kairi said, looking over them with some sort of guilty shame. "Thanks. I appreciate it." Calming down, the class took their seats and finished up the last few minutes of homeroom before they were to attend their classes. It was hard to concentrate, and that lack of focus was clearly affecting others. However, knowing she wasn't going to be heading in alone was enough to maintain her emotions alone. When her feelings began to spike, she remembered how proudly her classmates stepped up and agreed to help her. Feeling warm and gentle at the memory, her soul was soothed and she found she could focus.

But then they were standing in line, Kairi at the head of her class. Yaoyorozu lightly stroked the side of her arm comfortingly as the nurse called her into the Infirmary. Trembling hands passed over her card and then a curtain was drawn around her, the bed, and her classmates.

He was a standard looking nurse. He wore grey scrubs and a shorter white jacket fell over his shoulders. He had greying hair, but young blue eyes and smiled kindly to her. "I have been told you are a little more afraid of needles than the average person. Is that correct, Miss Hoshino?" he said calmly, turning to face her in a swivel chair near the bed. One of those crinkly paper sheets had been laid down on the usual infirmary bed. It didn't seem necessary considering they wouldn't be there long, but it was there regardless. Shaking, Kairi sat on the edge of the bed. Yaoyorozu lightly squeezed her shoulder.

"Ye-yes," she whispered, holding herself.

"And it looks like you've brought some friends along to help you?" he said, glinting eyes looking over those who were standing near her.

"Yes, we're her friends," Yaoyorozu said. Kairi quickly spun to look across them. Izuku and Yaoyorozu both grinned brightly. Todoroki only smirked, but he seemed to show no objection to the remark. Kairi blushed with pride. She relaxed her arms, feeling a little more optimistic about the situation, though they still shook.

He spoke softly, quietly explaining what they were going to do in ways that would calm her rather than upset her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he introduced himself and hummed something. Whatever it was, it kept Kairi from exploding in a panic. Still, her nerves sat on the edge, waiting to slip. With her permission, Todoroki held onto her shoulders firmly. It was obvious the kid was strong, but she had not expected him to be able to keep her as still as he did. With his help, Kairi could barely even move. Izuku held down her arm and Yaoyorozu held both her hands tightly. They learned quickly she was not kidding – she was trying very hard to break away from their hold, but the strength of the three of them was firm in making sure she wasn't moving. Her face grew slick with sweat and the air became warm. Her heart beat faster as she suddenly remembering her quirk and turned to look at her... friends. She felt the pinch in her arm, felt her arm feel strange and disconnected as the nurse worked his magic. Frantically, her mind attacked her with what her friends probably were feeling, reflecting her own emotions. She ignored what was happening, wincing at another tightness in her arm.

Then there was another pinch and the edges of her eyes filled with moisture. She hissed after it was over, and the nurse released her arm.

"Okay," he said. "Blood drawn, and vaccine delivered. You are free to go, Miss Hoshino." They released her and Todoroki handed her a tissue. Kairi dabbed at her eyes and they helped walk her out before they got back in line for their own vaccines.

She leaned against the door, admired the work on her left arm. There was now a wrap around that elbow to match the wrap on the other, and there was a dull throb in her shoulder where she received the shot. A few moments later and the rest of her class began to emerge, some of them rubbing their sore sports.

"How do you feel now?" Yaoyorozu asked, leaning against the wall with her. Kairi glowed at her appearance.

"Much better. I didn't flail around thanks to you guys," she said, seeing Izuku walk up behind her. "How did you do that by the way? Didn't you feel uncomfortable? Because I was about to burst into tears and freak out, I mean."

"Well, yeah," said Izuku thoughtfully. "Honestly, I did."

"But you didn't."

"I don't know..." he said. "It helped that I knew it was you and not me, and I guess it was more important to me to help you than to focus on my own feelings." Her glowing eyes beheld him, in awe of the ease with which he said his words. He was able to ignore the feelings and stay calm because... he was more concerned with her? Because he was being _selfless_? Feeing gooey and warm like a fresh chocolate chip cookie, Kairi fell snug against the wall. New tears rose again and she smiled through them. Izuku Midoriya. He really was turning out to be this wonder the whole class admired.

"Back there," she began. "You both said you were my..."

"Friends?" Yaoyorozu repeated, nodding. "Yeah. I mean, I consider us to be friends."

"I guess I wasn't sure I mean... I haven't exactly talked to you. I skipped out on that game night."

"You're dealing with a lot and everything is still new," she said, tapping her shoulder. She turned her head and looked over them.

"I meant it," Todoroki said, shrugging.

"You guys must seriously think I am messed up, needing help all the time," she almost laughed, ashamed by her own ridiculousness.

"Trust me, after what we've seen," Yaoyorozu said sadly. "Class 2-A is full of people who are all messed up. It's part of our strength, and why we get along so well."

"You're not as weird as you think you are, Kairi," Izuku said through another grin. Then Yaoyorozu leapt forward and took her into an embrace. Kairi melted and the tears fell again as she returned the hold. Her lips cracked as a laugh spilled out.

"Momo's an easier name to say," said Yaoyorozu. "None of these formalities, okay?"

"Shoto," Todoroki said as well. The smiles kept coming, and Kairi looked around the rest of them.

"And I'm okay with Kairi."

She couldn't stop the glow that continued to rise and lift her through the day. The aches were mild but they were completely drowned out by the elation that carried her through school that day. Even if it was brief, even they eventually turned on her as she expected. She had friends.

Even if it was only ever going to last a month.

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**UPDATE 3/14/2020  
If you skipped the update note in the beginning, I implore you to please read it.**

**If you skipped the chapter: There's a virus spreading in Japan, and its advised everyone be vaccinated against it. Doctors go to UA to provide vaccinations and take some blood to test and Kairi is terrified of needles so Midoriya, Todoroki, and Momo help her receiving them. At the end of the chapter, she realizes they are her true friends and is now on a first name basis with them all.**

**Thank you very much for the love and reviews you have all been giving! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy!**

**Psst: friendly reminder to get your flu shots - it's the beginning of flu season at the time of me putting this up! Herd immunity is important!**


	14. Survival Training Begins!

**I enjoyed writing this little arc so I am happy you all get to begin reading it!**

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After a little more time to heal, the next three weeks of school went as smoothly as possible. They entered July and summer vacation was soon approaching. While there had been some tension and once in a while, Kairi had noticed one of the students distanced themselves from her when her emotions got to be too much, it wasn't like her last class. For the most part, they were able to either ignore the sensations, work past it, or were able to get Kairi to calm down and ergo, calm themselves down. Bakugo's outbursts became common, but he grew to simply ignore her for the most part. Mineta was... himself, no matter what. Besides that, they... didn't leave her be. They included her in study groups, she was invited to go shopping once, to the café, and sometimes she was hanging out in one of the rooms. There were moments she felt too overwhelmed to join them, or simply chose to homework. But Kairi's heart was becoming calm. The atmosphere around her was gentler as she began to accept her classmates weren't easily going to abandon her. They had seemed to genuinely like her, even if once in a while she was the cause of some of their anxiety or sadness. Not once did they allow that to change their opinion of her and after a month of being in their class, she still genuinely felt like their friend. Some of them had started to figure out what she needed and what didn't help when she began to feel overwhelmed. Their efforts had begun to make everything easier, and Kairi was beginning to feel more confident in her abilities. That alone was a huge contribution in helping keep any of her attacks at bay. Calmer, happier, she began to settle in with class 2-A. Maybe they really were just that strong. Or, as the counselor reminded her, maybe she was also getting stronger.

With the final tests out of the way before summer vacation, the class was headed to a training camp where they would be spending their final school days before the long break. Students were already beginning to discuss their plans for the summer.

"Hey, Kairi, what do you say?" Momo said, leaning over the vinyl seat on the old, worn bus. Kairi pulled down her headphones and pressed a button on her handheld gaming device to pause it. She turned and looked up at the sweet smile looked down on her.

"What?"

"I'm wondering if you're interested in taking a trip to my beach house this summer!"

"For like a day?"

"No! We're going to go for a whole week!" She bubbled with pride, happily looking down at her. Kairi's stomach shut up into her throat, wrapping around her. She dropped the device and it clattered on the ground.

"Uh, that would be just... who the girls?" Her scratched as she moved her tongue to form words.

"No," Momo grinned. "I also invited Tsu, Uraraka, Todoroki, Midoriya, Aoyama, and Iida! I was hoping a few others could come, but they can't make it." Chills crippled Kairi and curled her fingers against her thighs.

"Oh, erm... So we'd all be by ourselves without you know... anyone to step in and intervene if things got, you know... crazy?" she chattered. Momo lifted an eyebrow.

"What do you think we're going to get up to?" she gasped. "Kairi, do you expect that someone is going to... you know...?" Tsu, who was sitting beside Kairi on the bus gulped and quickly turned to face Momo.

"I think she just means she's afraid she's going to lose control," Tsu intervened. "Why would that be your first thought?" Kairi, who was now a deep scarlet, looked between the two girls.

"Well _now _I'm afraid that's going to happen!" she squeaked, shivering.

"There's a reason I didn't invite Mineta," Momo laughed, winking. "But no, we won't be exactly alone. There's a butler and a couple of maids. We have a part timer driver we sometimes hire for events like this. He'll be staying there too! So we will have adult supervision, my parents would never let us just go there alone."

"Where will your parents be?"

"My father has to go to India for a conference and my mother is going with him. She said I could go hang out at the beach house and bring some friends along! I wanted to invite almost everyone, but sounds like a lot of people have plans this summer."

"You were hoping everyone could go? How many rooms do you have?" Tsu said with another expression of horror.

"Not a lot really. There's only ten bedrooms, but there's two or three beds in a lot of them." Kairi and Tsu both stared at each other. They were never going to get used to Momo's casual reminders of her wealth.

"Honestly, I think... my dad could do with a break," Kairi said. "I know this summer will be stressful again since I will be home for about six weeks and I think it would be nice if I gave him a break from that."

"It's really tough at home, huh?" Momo said sadly. Kairi hung her head.

"He tries. He sometimes has to just leave the house when I get to be too much and there are days when I am feeling a little on edge and I choose to avoid him. We have good days too though! We laugh, we watch things together. It isn't all bad. But I constantly feel like I'm... a nuisance." Tsu reached forward and touched her arm, an empathetic expression on her face.

"The beach will be good for you too, Kairi," she said.

"I don't know though, I think you are making some progress," Momo said, still peering over the seat. "At the very least, I feel less on edge around you now than I did at the beginning of the year."

"That's because I'm more comfortable around you. I guarantee you if anything earth shattering happened, you wouldn't be able to stand me, especially since we're friends now." Tsu smiled again and rubbed her arm again before dropping her hands in her lap.

"Never going to happen."

As the light disappeared in the distance, the bus pulled into the cabins they were to be staying in. Other classes had already arrived, but class 2-A was going to be in a cabin all by themselves. Sleepily, the students stepped off the bus and lugged their bags over the shoulders. In the desk, the dirt shone blue as it hushed under their feet.

"All right, let's get this over with as soon as possible so we can all relax and get to sleep," Aizawa said dully. "I'm going to go over room assignments. Girls bedrooms on the left, boys are on the right. Primarily, we are here to train and learn survival skills. Especially since we didn't get much of opportunity to do so last year." Kairi looked around at the strained faces around her. She remembered them talking about some sort of ambush last year. "However, being it's just before summer break the rest of the teachers and I decided we also wanted you to try and have some fun this year; a reprieve after all the studying you've had to do. Now, the training begins tomorrow and you will be placed into groups of three then. Right now, take some time off and kick your legs. There is to be no swimming in the lake after dark! So that's off limits now." A few groans scattered across the crowd. Aizawa then read the room assignments. It seemed to Kairi he had specifically paired those who were friends or got along best; probably to avoid any sort of drama starting between any of those who didn't get along. For example, Izuku and Bakugo would probably not be very good roommates.

Aizawa reminded them reception was not very good out in the wilderness where they were and they would mostly need to rely on speaking to each other in person. A few of the classmates groaned, but Kairi was thankful for the excuse for one of her parents to not be able to contact her. Training was the main reason, as he had said. But, she was hoping for the chance to relax. With Uraraka being her roommate, Kairi was immediately pulled by the arm into the cabin. Happily, the girl with the nutmeg colored hair began to unpack her things.

"This is so exciting! I can't wait to see what groups we're going to have tomorrow!"

"I'm not," Kairi grumbled honestly. "I'm actually nervous about how we're going to work in the groups we're assigned." Her body clenched. They had some minor training since the matches where she faced against everyone else, but nothing on the scale they were about to endure. She hadn't really worked together with anyone since joining and her innards rolled and flipped just thinking about all the possibilities.

"You can do it, Hoshino!" Uraraka said proudly. "You're stronger than you think!"

"But what if I have a panic attack in the middle of the woods?"

"Then your teammates will help you out!" Kairi moved over to her suitcase and began to pull out a few of the toiletries. The room was basic, with one bed on either side of the room and outfitted with patchwork duvets that looked about thirty years old. Like any old cabin, it was paneled with rustic wood, stained with knots in the reddened wood. There were two small chests of drawers and a table with one chair in the corner. Each bed had a nightstand and a lamp on it. A singular picture of a peaceful meadow hung on an otherwise empty wall and the center of the floor held a worn rug. Simple, old, but it was clean. There was a door that opened to a basic bathroom with one toilet, one sink, and an incredibly skinny shower. It was clear the attraction to the place was the outside and not the sleeping area.

Half of the group met in the kitchen for a late-night snack and discussed their sleeping arrangements. Apparently Momo tried hard not to show it, but the size of the rooms distressed her, even more so since she was in the one group of three. Worn from the long drive, and eager to start the next day, the students slowly filed back into their rooms. Once inside, Kairi emerged from the shower, brushing through her dark locks and looked sadly at the fading blue strip in her hair.

"I can help you dye it again when we get back," Uraraka said, sensing her fixation on it.

"It's okay, it's one section of hair so it will be easy for me to do. Besides that, it will take me two or three applications to get it back to being bright again." Kairi placed her hairbrush on top of her chosen set of drawers and then slipped into her bed.

"I'm glad we got a room together, Hoshino. I feel like we haven't spent as much time together."

"Well, sounds like that may change if you head to the beach house this summer."

"Yes, that sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Are you really going to go?"

"I... want to. I've never really gone out with friends before. I guess I've never really had friends. At this point this may be... the longest I've had friends."

"Really?" Uraraka changed from her clothes into pajama pants and a t-shirt. "Because of your quirk?"

"It upsets people. Somehow you seem to handle it. I suppose it's because 2-A is such a strong class!"

"Maybe it is," Uraraka said, heading towards the bathroom and snatching her toothbrush from the counter. "Or maybe you have also gotten stronger." Kairi shrugged.

"Momo and Tsu were saying the same thing."

"See!" Her mouth was now full of toothpaste and her voice muffled.

"Do you think my mom was weak?" The question spiraled out of Kairi before she could put a boot to her words. She chewed on her lip, tension spiking from her core while her gut chastised herself for saying such a ridiculous thing. Uraraka turned to look at her with bright eyes blinking. She looked back in the mirror and spit. She rinsed and then wiped her mouth.

"I can't say, I don't know her," Uraraka responded, returning to her bed and slipping under the multi-colored blankets. "Your mom didn't have hero training, did she?"

"No. She's a cop. She used to be a detective but I stressed her out so much, she took a desk job when she went back to England."

"I see. Well, I would think a detective would have some form of hero training, in a way. But maybe that doesn't even matter. Sometimes parents... they struggle to put their children before their own desires. Sounds like your dad tries harder than your mother ever did."

"I believe she loves me... but..."

"You don't think she loves you the right way." Kairi shook her head. "Parents don't always act the best. Why do you think there are kids in foster homes? Kids who have been taken away?" Kairi curled her arms in front of her stomach.

"I always thought my mother did what was best for her mental health."

"She might have," Uraraka breathed. "It's hard to know, isn't it? Was she... not a good mom because she fled and didn't take on the task of being a parent? Or did she do what she had to protect her own mental health?"

"I don't know the answer to that, I guess."

"You may have to settle with never knowing. But from the little I gathered... there were some things she could have done better. But I'm not a parent." Kairi leaned back into her bed and reached to shut the dim lamp off. Uraraka's light also flicked off and only the shimmering stream of moonlight through the window created the glow around them.

"Is it wrong that I still love her?"

"Of course not. You can still love her. I don't know how your relationship with her is right now, if you even have one." Conviction gripped Kairi, and she winced, knowing Uraraka could feel it. She heard her shift in the bed near her. "You can look at a bee's nest from afar and appreciate it. But you shouldn't continue to stick your hand in it just to get the honey if you're not well protected."

"What...?" Kairi said, wrinkled her nose in confusion. "I'm... not quite sure I understand what that means."

"It means if you don't have the courage, the strength, the health to protect you against the pain that comes with trying to repair a relationship with your mother, then you need to stay away until you do. You'll keep getting stung otherwise." Kairi chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking over Uraraka's words. She imagined the bee's nest, and how it would be to try and get some honey without proper protection. Her body began to feel heavy as the lumpy mattress suddenly became comfier and pulled her deeper.

"Huh, interesting. No wonder Izuku likes you..." Kairi mumbled in her half sleep

"What was that?" Kairi didn't hear her question. She had already sunk in and joined the rest of the lumps.

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**Thanks for all the love :) And thanks so much to Hero DarkyDark who's been so kind in leaving me me some positive responses and supporting my work! Please check out their BnHA OC fic "Desire to Gain A License to Kill." It's great and a thrilling read so far!**

**Please leave a review if you would like, I appreciate feedback! **


	15. Following the Right Paths

Someone was going around and beating on the doors, insisting everyone get up. It was 6 am, and Kairi was pulling a pillow over her head. Uraraka also didn't seem too fond of the incessant beating, but she managed to slip out of bed before Kairi. Another rapping against the wooden door that was surely too old to handle such a clamor and Kairi pulled herself away from the wrappings of mediocre comfort and was shivering on the cold, wooden floor. As Uraraka showered, Kairi fished out her hero costume out of the bottom of her suitcase. They had been told they would be needing it today, and she pushed it and its accessories aside for when they would be needing them. The only thing that sat on her mind was the desire to eat, and her stomach eagerly agreed. Running a brush through her hair so it didn't look like a total rat's nest, she stepped in her slippers and barely looked at the steps as she floated down them. Half-awake and yawning students filed out of other rooms and they gathered in the dining area, where a relationship of savory and sweet smells welcomed them. A staff member was working quickly in their kitchen, and by the looks of the mess gathered near the sink, had been for some time.

"How did you sleep?" Momo asked, and Kairi only lifted a half-heartedly thumb, indicating her still slumbering state. She let her head fall onto the large dining room table and curled her arms around her face, hoping for just a few more moments.

"Hey, look at that scar!" Kaminari said, poking at the just of Kairi's elbow. It was two pigmentations darker than her skin, a wrinkled and shriveled shadow from mark she had received nearly a month ago. "That's pretty cool. That will be a fun story to tell some day."

"Yeah, I will always enjoy telling the story about how my classmate tried to kill me," she grumbled from where she still lay at the table. Pitchers of juice and water were brought to the table and an array of drinking glasses were set out before them. Another staff member set out a teapot and some ceramic glasses for them. "I will enjoy have an old wrinkled looking weenus. At least I'll match Mineta."

Shoto Todoroki, who had been casually tipping a glass of water to his lips, coughed and spat out a stream of water that sprayed across the table. Kairi opened one eye and looked at him from where she sat, kitty-corner.

"You okay there, Shoto?" she said, followed by a yawn.

"Yeah, I just... you _did_ say weenus, right?"

"That is what I said."

"And I assume you are also talking about the same _exact_ body part on Mineta?" Kairi smiled devilishly.

"Yes. Let's assume that's what I meant." Shoto's mismatched eyes widened, and he quickly downed his glass of water.

By 6:30, the table was set with an array of omelets and rice, rolls, pork, and steamed vegetables. Aoyama was the last one to arrive, having nearly been drug out by his roommate, Iida. He was still wearing a sparkling baby blue sleeping mask atop his head when he padded down in his satin white pajamas. With their thanks expressed, the students began to pile their plates and slowly began to wake up with the comfort of food hidden in their bellies. As they neared finishing their food, Aizawa appeared before the head of the table. He had practically rolled down the stairs and wobbled, a thick yellow sleeping bag still tied around him with just his face showing. He stood in his cocoon before the class as they enjoyed their meal.

"After you have finished your breakfast, please meet All Might and I outside the cabin in one hour. As previously stated, you will need to be dressed in your hero costumes." Shrouded in his sunny protection of warmth, Aizawa comically shuffled away. Refusing to leave his comfort place, he crawled up the stairs and scooted back towards his room. The class blinked with astonishment. It was hard to believe sometimes this man was their teacher.

With a half hour to prepare, the students finished up and ran to their rooms. In hurried moments, they all changed and were soon gathered in front of the cabin. Mr. Aizawa was the last to arrive and still seemed to be wiping sleep from his eyes. However, at least he was now dressed in his usual black ensemble with his thick long scarf hanging loose around his neck, rather than his sleeping bag. The murmurs among them flattened as he let the door shut against the wooden panels of the building. Following behind him was the thin shadow of All Might. He was dressed in a version of his former hero costume, fitted more to his current form. It was less impressive without the mountains of muscles that used to fill it, but the image still held a reflection of what used to be. The two teachers stepped to meet them, each holding a clipboard in their hands.

"All right!" Aizawa called, sounding a little more awake than he had earlier, drawing the attention of all that gathered around him. "Your survival training is about to begin soon. As a hero, there may be many times when your duties will carry you onto lengthy missions. You may be faced with a task of having to track down villains who have decided to live off the grid, so to speak, for various reason. You may find yourself in a situation where you don't have your usual tools and arsenal on you. You will have to be creative. You will have to learn to survive tough situations and elements. You will need to be innovative and tough. This is something similar to a training session we had planned last year, but..." He let the sentence falter. The scattered mumbles seemed to recall how things didn't exactly turn out the way they had hoped. "Anyways, what you will be doing is just that: surviving. From the time I release you til eleven am tomorrow, you are going to be out in the forest, finding your own food, building your own fire, setting your camp, all the fixings. I have placed you in groups of three based on your skill sets, quirks, and what we deemed to be people who would be able to contribute together in the way that works best for them to survive. You're going to be put onto the bus and one by one, each group will be dropped at a starting location. The hope is you will be far enough from each other you won't easily run into each other but, you very well might. If you do, do not engage in a fight to try and be better than the other group!" Mr. Aizawa'a voice was stern as his firm eyes gazed over the rest of the group. All Might stepped forward then, continuing the briefing.

"Your first and foremost objective is to survive," he said. "However, you have also been given the task of rescuing your friend, Theodore." The blonde former hero held up a plush brown bear in front of them, black eyes sparkling innocently toward them. A few of the students appeared amused. Others still were annoyed at the use of a children's toy for a rescue mission. "You will not be graded on whether or not you actually rescue Theodore, it will help with some bonus points, however. Not rescuing him does not lose you points. But if you don't work to cooperate with your teammates you will receive a bad grade."

"However, should there be a point where you feel it's hard to work with your team or you find you simply can't survive a night in the woods, a camp staff member will come retrieve you. The whole team has to agree it's in their best interests to be retrieved, but this will come at a cost. If there's a medical emergency, then we will of course take that student out of the training and proceed with the best course of action for the rest of the group continue. Medical emergencies will not cost you."

"Bear in mind," continued All Might. He held up several blue bracelets that resembled bangles, with the exception of a couple buttons and lights. "You _are_ going to monitored. These are tracking bracelets and there are cameras around the area you are working in. These are only for seeing how you work as a team and so we can make sure you are not in any danger. The red button on the side is for emergencies." He pointed to the bright red button that protruded from the bracelet. "Press it three times for an emergency. We can also evaluate on the screens how bad of an emergency this is." Momo raised her hand. "Yes, Yaoyorozu?

"When you say survival, does that mean we're going to... ah... will there be public toilets available at least?" Aizawa sighed and tipped his eyes to the ground.

"No. Survival means doing everything on your own."

"What?!" came a voice among the hushed gasps and mutters. Kairi tensed.

"You're second years, you should expect this by now. Survival means survival. That means doing things that even feel uncomfortable," Mr. Aizawa said. "I should explain another feature of the bracelet. There is a button on your bracelet you can press to alert us to turn off monitoring for reasons such as the one Miss Yaoyorozu mentioned. You will be given ten minutes, which we hope will be plenty of time for you. The bracelet has a light that will go one to alert you the monitored has turned off. It will blink rapidly when you have less than a minute left. Please use this only when privacy is absolutely needed!"

"What about showering?" asked Aoyama, almost desperately.

"I'm sure you can wait to take another shower until you get back tomorrow morning," All Might told him casually.

"As a reminder, if it is discovered you misused the privacy feature for injuring a teammate or... improper acts." His eyes glinted in the direction of Mineta, who jumped and shivered under the cold stare of their homeroom teacher. Even within the class, others still looked his direction. "You _will_ be penalized."

"I can't believe I am even saying this..." All Might began lowly, shifting his eyes away from some of the students a little as he began. Aizawa looked away as well, even coloring his face a little. "Yes this does mean you are expected to spend the night in the woods, sleeping _near_ your teammates. We also recognize you are teenagers and it's possible some of you may be excited about sleeping near the opposite sex. Remember you are in groups of three, and that we are still monitoring you. We are not your parents, so we are not here to scold you for anything that is mutually agreed upon, but the point of this is to train, and we expect you to be considerate to your teammates and be mindful of the monitoring." With the words All Might said, the throng of students grew more visibly awkward, looking anywhere but their teachers. Some became fascinated with the lines in the dirt at their feet, while others traced the patterns on their hand. "Finally, be prepared when you're out there. It's possible we may have planted some opponents to ambush you randomly to test your fighting skills during survival." With All Might's cough, Aizawa quickly continued. He gestured to a large tree to the side of the cabin, that was littered with several grey or red bulging backpacks.

"Each person is going to receive a backpack. The red bags have essentials and one set of outdoor bedding. The grey backpacks just have the bedding. There is a water container in each pack too. Use these, your environment, your quirks, and work together to survive. Each red pack has what we would expect a hero to have pre-packed for any situation such as this. We will first read off your teammates and then please decide who is carrying which backpack." There were seven groups, each have three members; two boys and one female in each group. Some of the pairings were odd, while others seemed to make sense. It wasn't clear exactly how each group was put together, especially as how some were good friends and some weren't. Once the groups found each other, they gathered at the tree and collected their bags and bracelets.

Even though they had been told the reception was poor anyway, cell phones could still have some use so All Might and Mr. Aizawa collected their phones. Feeling naked completely without even the reminder of the connection to the rest of the world, class 2-A gathered into the bus. It drove for a half hour before the driver slowed and the first group was dropped off.

Kairi was in the fourth drop off. The bus slowed and Mr. Aizawa sent off her group, which included Shoto and Izuku. Soothed by knowing she was going to be in a survival group with two of the people she was growing to become better friends with, confidence boosted through her and she stood tall while she looked among the thick congregation of emerald lush among the sage tinted trees along the dusty weaving path..

"Maybe we should take a look in our bags first," Shoto suggested. In agreement the others slipped off their backpacks and began to pull out the contents. It was as Aizawa said; the grey packs just had sleeping bags, travel pillows, and a small tarp. The red pack had a small, beaten pot they could use to heat water or something in it. There were a couple of small knives, a flashlight with extra batteries, a book of poisonous plants and food that grow in nature, lengths of rope, a compass, a small first aid kit, a whistle, some thin and tightly bound tarps, as well as the sleeping bag and pillow. There also seemed to be, thankfully, toilet paper. It seemed their teachers decided to be a little nice and throw that in for them to avoid having to use unknown leaves. They checked the bracelets they had been given to make sure they were properly secured. Checking again, the large red backpack also had a folded-up piece of paper in the front, with just one odd sentence scribbled on it; "Northwest in a dark cascade."

"Anyone else getting the feeling Aoyama and Bakugo got it easy having Momo in their group?" Kairi said both humorously and disdainfully.

"Not sure about that," Shoto smirked. "She is with Bakugo, even with her quirk."

"So... do we just start moving then?" Izuku asked. Kairi shrugged and Shoto looked closer at the note.

"Do you think this is meant to be a hint for us?" he asked, holding up the note for them.

"I guess we just start to walk northwest then?" Kairi picked up the compress and turned til she was facing northwest. Shoto zipped up the red backpack and swung it over his shoulders. The shimmering thrush around their feet hushed with each of their steps and faintly, the song of several birds wove around them. Kairi settled into herself, warming within. "It's actually kind of peaceful out here. The trees block out a lot of sound, but carry a lot of the acoustics from the animals. It's really green too."

"I guess if they're going to pick a place to abandon us, this is a nice place to do it," Shoto added as they stepped over a moss-covered branch. Slivers of sunlight broke through the gap overhead and dazzled the foliage around them, adding to the calming atmosphere. Assurance and peace spilling out of Kairi and reaching into the boys who traveled with her, they began their adventure into the forest.

A steaming ceramic cup placed in front of Aizawa's weary form announced the presence of All Might. He swiveled the chair out from the desk where four monitors were airing footage of different groups venturing out into the wild. Aizawa acknowledged the presence of his friend before he took the cup into his hands. All Might joined him as they both sat to look over the live footage, supplied by the various cameras they had help in setting up previous to the trip. The room they sat in was often used as a conference room or monitoring situations such as the trips UA occasionally held. The desk before them stretched almost the full length of the wall, with the monitors glowing back at them.

"Let the games begin," sighed All Might, as he clicked through the images.

"Did we make a mistake by putting Bakugo in Aoyama's group?" Aizawa asked dully, watching as the angered blonde clearly reacted aggressively to something that was sad.

"I think the original arrangement would have been far worse," All Might said. "And what about Hoshino? How do you think this exercise is going to turn out for her?"

"She's become a lot stronger than she realizes. The rest of the class even seems to be managing around her quirk and figuring out how to respond to her when her emotions are running high."

"Yes but..." All Might sighed. "I just can't help but second guess every move we make to better them. After the mark the League of Villains left on the class last year, and Bakugo made it clear he was dealing with more than anyone ever guessed... I question the damage we may be unintentionally inflicting on the students." Aizawa sighed and pushed away from the desk. He spun in his chair and widened his otherwise tired eyes.

"Toshi, you're not the only one who's been asking those questions," he said. All Might turned his sunken gaze towards him. "That's part of why we put all this safety implements in place, to protect the kids as much as possible. These kids have... all seen so much and have dealt with it better than most adults could. Not a single class I have taught has bonded the way they have, has relied on each other the way they have. That's the source of all their strength, and I don't think it's hard to see that Midoriya is a huge part of that." He paused a moment, to let All Might take in the last part. He looked back over to the screen, where he flipped to the group with Izuku, Shoto, and Kairi. "I think we have done everything we possibly can, while also trying to give them challenges that will try them and help them improve in their missions to be heroes. Just because they have endured more than any person should does not mean we just stop their training. They still want to be heroes. They still want to excel, and we need to give them the proper tools for that."

"I understand all that," sighed All Might, looking at Aizawa's screen. "It's Kairi I'm concerned about. I know the counselor signed off on this exercise for her as long as it went as planned, but I fear I am struggling with self-doubt." Aizawa smirked.

"That doesn't surprise me, Toshi. I promise, every bit of care has been taken to consider how best to improve our students as heroes while also taking care to not further damage their mental health, as best as we can care." His eyes flew to Kairi smiling brightly as the boys discussed something with her during their walk. "Remember, most people didn't get put with their friends. But you put Kairi with two of the people she gets along best with. Why did you suggest that?"

"Because I think she could be calmer and therefore more confident in her abilities and excel better if surrounded by those who have repeatedly shown to care for her."

"That is why you will never truly stop being the Symbol of Peace."


	16. Rabbit's Trap

**Content Warning: This chapter contains discussing about the need to kill an animal for the purposes of food and survival, and Kairi feels really bad about it. It's talked about amongst the three, but the act itself is not actually shown. If this is something that you feel would upset you, please do not read. I will post the TL;DR in the end notes for those of you who skipped.**

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"Do you ever want to visit England again?" Izuku asked as the sun begun to grow really hot, even shaded by the fronds and branches of the foliage above them. Kairi brushed a low hanging twig away from her face and then stepped over a sharp rock in her path. As they continued, the forest was getting denser. The shade was nice but the trek they had been taking hadn't made beating the heat any better. She raised her arm and swiped at the perspiring dots on her forehead.

"Eventually," Kairi answered. "But the reason mom fled back home was because she wanted to get as far from me as possible. If she hadn't already had a place far away she was able to go to easily, she would have found a way to get work and a citizenship. Lucky for her, she just already _happened_ to be from the other side of the world."

"Do you keep in contact with her still?" Kairi stiffened and halted her step. Shoto turned back when he sensed the shift and heard her pausing her steps. Izuku waited patiently, watching her face while it colored and the skin around her neck tightened. The storm in Kairi's chest swirled and thickened while she pushed the truth down, finding it grated her core as she did.

"Why would I continue to talk with her after she did something like that?" her voiced cracked with the answer.

"Midoriya, I don't think we should be asking her any more questions about her home life," Shoto cautioned. His pitiful glance her direction was apologetic.

"It's fine, I don't mind, Shoto."

"Don't you?" he asked. She bit her lip and focused on flipping a fallen leaf with the edge of her boot.

"I'm sorry," Izuku said with a slight bow of his head. "I wasn't thinking... I don't have too much of a relationship with my father either. He's gone a lot. It's mostly been me and my mother."

"It's not quite the same thing..." Kairi mumbled, trying not to be hurt as she fidgeted with the blue strip in her hair. She reached up and removed the metal band that had been secured over her forehead. "I just... I have to take this off for a minute. I know we're wanted to wear our costumes for this but I'm hoping I can do without some of these accessories for a bit." She shimmied off her backpack and found a medium sized pocket that she unzipped and stowed her gloves and the metal plate. "It's getting hot and we've been walking for hours."

"Maybe we should consider something to eat," Shoto said. "I can easily start a fire, that's no issue. But we should be searching for something we can eat." He slugged off the red bag and Izuku dug through it, finding the book that described plants and food that were easily found in the part of the woods they were in that were safe to eat.

"We might be able to find some fruit here," Izuku said while Kairi leaned over his shoulder to read.

"That might not be enough. We might have to kill something." Izuku and Kairi both looked up at him, faces graven and pale.

"_What_?!" Kairi screeched, stomach contorting at the idea.

"Small things. I'm not talking about searching for a boar and killing it. But a bird or a squirrel..." Izuku shrugged.

"He has a point, Kairi. This is a survival exercise."

"No no. I mean, I'm fine with eating chicken, but that doesn't mean I'm going to track down the animal and slaughter it myself! I'm training to save things, not kill them!" Kairi protested.

"And what if there's an incident where you're trapped in Hokkaido in the middle of winter trying to save someone, and you've run out of food, and you need to find food to keep the person you're rescuing alive?" Shoto offered seriously. Kairi shrunk, feeling the pinch of the truth of his words and instantly hating everything about them.

"That's hypothetical!"

"So is every exercise we do," Shoto said. "That's the point. I'm not trying to be rude, but some of the things we may come across as heroes are going to be unpleasant. The only way to prepare for them is to do unpleasant things. If something like this were to happen, then we are going to need to learn to stomach it should it ever be necessary for us. Hopefully, it's never necessary." Kairi looked at her feet again, that odd sensation rising up in her again. She turned her gaze away, embarrassed by the two of them knowing exactly how uncomfortable she felt. Shoto sighed and reached to place comforting fingers against her upper arm. "Listen. I'm not trying to be rude."

"I know that..." she whispered quietly. "I just... I feel like I have spent my life trying to prove my quirk isn't evil or malicious in any way. Partaking in something that results in causing the death of something... even if it's a small creature..."

"We understand, Kairi," Izuku responded in a soothing, bright tone.

"You don't have to be the one to do it," Shoto promised, turning away from her. "But we are going to need your help."

"Could we maybe see if there's a place for fish?" Izuku suggested. "Maybe there's a pond or a stream around here." For a moment they all remained still, pausing to maybe catch a whisper of a flowing stream or the trickle of a creek. Birds sang and trees rustled, but there was no sound of the rush of water. Kairi's shoulders fell with disappointment.

"The good thing is even if we don't find food this entire trip, we'll still be fine since it's just a 24-hour exercise," Izuku said positively. "Which may have been part of the plan."

"Yes," Kairi sighed. "But you clearly have never been around me when I've gone 12 hours with no food." Shoto chuckled at the remark, but the look she gave him told him she had only been half joking about the remark. Her eyes flew to the trees and she scanned them with deep thought. "Okay. There's something I can do..."

"Which is?" Izuku asked with bouncing curiosity. Kairi smirked mischievously, but a wince followed.

"The thing is, my quirk has always lent me this interesting ability to live out my dream as a storybook princess when I was a child." Shoto raised his eyebrows.

"What does this have to with killing a bird?"

"Well... I can lure them." She was already reaching for a scent tube at her side. "If I can just calm myself enough then when I approach the animals, they are calm and don't see me a threat. They won't scurry away from when I reach to touch them."

"That's... actually really useful."

"How? Before now I've never really needed it. I guess it helped when I was a child and wanted to pet wild animals, and also when my dad took me fishing."

"Your dad took you fishing?" Izuku asked with surprise.

"Yeah. It was his secret weapon. I got so bored of fishing, I actually moved past calm and it made the fish perfectly fine with where they were sitting. My dad could practically reach in the water and grab the fish at that point." The boys stared at her with something that reflected astonishment. "Did you think my quirk only affected people?"

"I guess we just... didn't think about how far your quirk could actually extend..." Shoto whispered. He sounded surprised, but the expression on his face looked to be more embarrassed than anything. Kairi's stomach rolled with her increasing hunger and she looked at her teammates impatiently.

"Okay, I don't mean to sound urgent but I need to try and calm down now." Met with their silence, Kairi uncorked the tube and inhaled the fragrant scent of damp warmth and wildflowers. The natural breeze around them helped to impound the scent as her body was swept under a deep sinking of comfort. She breathed in several times, zoning in on the sound of the one tone a nearby bird was singing. The heat of the sun passed over her face and blanketed her with the cozy heat. She pictured a perfect summer day as a cheery sang played in the kitchen on a Saturday morning while her father cooked breakfast. A smile small crept onto her face. Izuku and Shoto were finding themselves lulled into the feel she was giving off as well. Cleaving to the emotion and allowing only items that gave her joy to pass in her mental vision, Kairi opened her eyes and floated towards the base of a nearby tree. Displaying the same limberness they had seen of her during her individual fights, she leapt up to the nearest branch and pulled herself up. Kairi curled her arms around and swung up a leg, venturing further into the height of the tree. A bushy tail rhythmically flipped as the squirrel rubbed its nose into his spindly toes. Kairi breathed in the scent again and then moved cat-like onto the branch. When the limb began to creak, she paused and held out her hand. She clicked her tongue, drawing the attention of the squirrel. Just as calm as she was, it moved slowly in her direction. The shine of its beady eyes drew her in and she became remorseful, thinking about the squirrel's fate. The rodent stopped and its eyes popped. Kairi mind zipped frantically as she fished for the feeling back, but that knowledge about what was about to happen to the poor creature spiked again. The squirrel remembered to be fearful and darted away from her hand and leapt into the neighboring tree.

"No!" she yelled up at it, but it was moving faster than she could go after it. "Damn it!" Kairi grabbed onto a lower hanging branch and strung herself towards the next tree. With another whiff off her scent and a moment to find her headspace, she hummed to herself. The happiest tune she knew. Twisting her legs around the jutting arms of bark, she swung upwards and found a small yellow bird. It wouldn't be much, but it was a start. Breathing gently again, she recalled the happy memories as she approached. The boys called up to her but she blocked out the voices. She needed to focus. Slowly, Kairi inched towards the bird. It was fearless as it flitted towards her. It hopped curiously and moved his neck in a fashion that broke a smile from Kairi. It was so cheery and almost comical. It was a shame they were about to...

The dread crept in again. Kairi swept at the bird before it could fly away, and she barely missed. Three golden feathers remained in her hand but the bird escaped with its life. Kairi swore incredibly loudly just as the limb under her clapped its message of doom. Hearing her pleas and watching as the bark split, the boys ran under her. Shoto thought quickly and held out his arm, discharging an upwards arch of ice. Kairi rolled onto the top and effortlessly slid down the surface, landing at their feet with her face in her hands. She slammed her boot into the floor before her red face peered between her fingers.

"It isn't your fault," Izuku said.

"Kairi, you need to learn to stay calm," Shoto nearly scolded.

"I can't!" she strained, dropping her hands. "I look at them and I think about what's going to happen and I just... I mean, it worked when I was younger because I never had any intention of hurting them!" The ice was beginning to numb her backside, but Kairi still refused to leave the end of her makeshift slide. Her legs shivered, a stark comparison to the beading sweat on her forehead as the sun still beat. Shoto lowered himself and she flinched, slightly intimidated by the blank look he was giving her. His different colored eyes studied her til she wriggled uncomfortably under his gaze and reddened. There was no particular reason she should be embarrassed, but the prolonged eye contact was causing her nerves to flail.

"What if you didn't look at the animal?"

"Huh?"

"If we could blindfold you, bring you back to feeling calm again, would that help? Then you wouldn't have to look at the animal, and you wouldn't get distracted."

"While that would help..." The melting ice slide was beginning to become too much against Kairi's butt and she rose from it. "I can't climb a tree blindfolded." Shoto scanned over the congregation of trees above them.

"You look like you have a plan," Izuku observed.

"Midoriya, could you use your quirk to jump really high while holding someone?"

"Huh? I mean, I'm sure I can but why?" Izuku asked.

"You and I are both strong, but our muscle builds don't allow us to climb a tree as quickly or lithely as Kairi. I think it's clear she's the better climber of us." Kairi cocked her head, piecing together his words.

"I think you were complimenting me, but I also think you were sort of patting yourself on the back for the bulging biceps you have going on..." she speculated with an accusatory glare.

"Kairi."

"Sorry."

"If she's blindfolded, she obviously can't climb. I thought about carrying her while I climbed but as I said, I'm not as good as her and having extra weight would make climbing even harder for me. Same if you did it. But, if you can power your legs to jump high while carrying her and land in a tree where you see an animal." Kairi's eyes nervously fell to the corner of her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing.

"Okay, I can do that but then I would have to make sure I get the landing right so neither of us gets hurt. What if you _did_ climb the tree yourself and you were waiting to catch her and I threw her?" Izuku asked.

"That could work, but we would have to nail the timing."

"Planned right, we could do that. It seems like an awful lot just for one bird or squirrel but at this rate, we could be getting hungrier and hungrier and we may have to resort to more complicated means. If we don't eat we could get..." Izuku was no longer talking to the group and instead spiraled in his usual ramblings, mumbling the pros and cons of the complications of the plan they were currently forming.

"Or you could whip up that blindfold quickly, boys because we could just go after that rabbit right there." Kairi pointed and they followed the direction of her hand. A light grey rabbit nibbled on the under edge of the bush, some distance from them. Shoto took in a heavy breath and then quietly perused his red backpack. He braided some of the length of rope together, enough to make an awkwardly chunky blindfold. While he worked, Izuku approached Kairi and spoke softly to her so as not to disturb the animal. She tipped another tube to nose and her memories awakened once more so she slipped into a temporary moment of calm. Izuku reminded her to breath, and described a peaceful image of an empty beach on a sunny day as the waves receded and flowed; a tactic Momo had actually discovered worked to calm her. She breathed in with his reminders as Izuku lightly touched the edge of her fingers with his own. Touch kept her grounded, reminded her of her position to reality and those around her. Eyelids shut and Shoto acknowledged he was behind her so as not to startled her. Keeping in her moment of calm, he wrapped section of braided rope around her eyes; loose enough to not rub against her but tight enough to not fall. Vision cut off from the world, Shoto placed a guiding hand between her shoulder blades while Izuku took her hand to help her keep sense of her direction.

"How are you feeling?" Shoto asked.

"Calm," she whispered.

"We're right here, Kairi." They approached the rabbit, who seemed unaware of their encroaching presence. At six feet away, Shoto whispered to stop. Kairi slowly lowered her body and extended a hand. She called out to it and the fluffy grey animal sniffed the air curiously. It hopped in the direction of her beckoning fingers. Kairi didn't move, having no awareness to the proximity of it til it's cold nose brushed against her fingertips. Sensing no danger, it leapt into her hand. Balancing its feet against her twitching arm and listening to the calming words Izuku and Shoto continued to supply her with to keep her emotions in check, Kairi rose and then successfully tucked the rabbit from her chest.

"Take him before I lose it," she warned quickly. Shoto whisked the animal away. Kairi kept the blindfold on even though he had done the decent thing in disappearing from their sight. Tears leaked under the cords around her face as Izuku rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

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**TL;DR: The group is growing hungry and is need of searching for something to eat, and its mentioned they may need to hunt an animal for food. Kairi reluctantly admits her quirk also works with animals and used corrected, she could lure an animal. After a few failed attempts that show she is an excellent climber, she ends up blindfolded to avoid looking into a rabbit's eyes and they catch the rabbit.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated! (But certainly not necessary!) Love you all :)**


	17. Overwhelming Support

There hadn't been a lot of meat on the rabbit for the three of them but it was enough to settle their stomach for at least a few hours. Shoto had promised he froze the rabbit first in order to put it to sleep so it would experience the most minimal suffering it could. While that had offered Kairi some comfort, it was still difficult for her to eat. Shoto had prepared the fire and used both his powers together to melt ice and boil it to purify it. He cooled it again with his ice and it was enough for them to drink with their meal of rabbit meat. Izuku had used to guidebook to find some leaves they could use to season it more, which helped its palatability. They had also been able to find some berries to go with their meal.

"If we find a body of water, we are looking for fish," Kairi said.

"How is that different than a rabbit?" Izuku asked.

"Technically, it's still an animal, but I think societal treatment of fishing has made it seem like less of a deal," Kairi told them. She finished the last piece of rabbit and swallowed it as quickly as she could. "Okay, I feel I need to buy a pet rabbit now to account for the sins committed today."

"I want you to remember this conversation the next time someone makes a comment about how your quirk is villainous," Izuku said through a smile. Kairi tried to hide her blush.

"For what reason?" she stumbled on asking.

"Villainous people wouldn't feel bad about hurting a small animal just so they could eat." Kairi shook her head.

"Plenty of serial killers in history were vegetarians. They just viewed animals as innocent creatures in a world plagued of villainous humans who were so corrupt they needed to be rid of." They both stared at her.

"You never cease to surprise, do you?" Shoto said, cringing at the tidbit she gave. Kairi shrugged. She dusted off her legs and rolled back onto her feet. A crack behind made her pivot abruptly, searching the waves of green for an unwelcome guest. Her heart restarted, catching its wind again after she saw no one.

"That rabbit still have you spooked?" Izuku asked. Shoto stomped out their fire and the two of them began to clean up the makeshift spit of sticks and fire kindling they had created.

"No, I just remember that Aizawa said there would be people surprising us. An attack perhaps. I wondered if that was it for second..." Shoto zipped up his backpack and lugged it around his shoulders. Izuku frowned worryingly and touched Kairi on the shoulder. She turned her attention towards him and he offered her a gentle smile.

"Why don't we keep going? Maybe walking more for a bit will help clear your head and calm you down?" he suggested warmly. Kairi nodded, her shoulders dropping the tension that had latched onto her.

"Got nothing else to do, I guess. We should enjoy the bit of sunlight we have left." Shoto caught up with them and continued through the assortment of foliage that covered the forest floor. The terrain arched and then sloped, allowing the three to slide down the dusted bank before continuing to follow the compass northeast. The sunlight glistened against the greenery, the sheen changing from a bright shimmer to a golden glow. The change of light and passing of the hottest day told them it was going to be nearing dark. The hairs on Kairi's neck rose as the sounds around her seemed to become louder. The night seemed to amplify the world, and it was even clearer in a foreign environment.

"You're very lucky," Kairi finally said as she swept her legs through a bush. Something scurried near her and she froze, staring at empty space where she swore she heard the sound. _Oh good god, Kairi, be a fucking hero and stop being so skittish._ She curled her fists together, trying to squeeze out the tension she was still feeling from earlier. Shoto hung back as the two walked together, Izuku asking her simple questions like bands she enjoyed, books, and her favorite films. A spindle of guilt unwound through Shoto, the dull pang too irritable to ignore. Among the verdant hues, a particularly deep vibrancy drew his attention. Mismatched eyes followed the attraction, a speck of royalty shining through the forest. Indigo met with amethyst in a floral mingling among green shoots. First drawn by the striking color as it stood out among the nature tones around them, an impulse shot through him and implanted an idea in his mind. Shoto broke the stem of the flower and made his way back to his teammates.

"I have never heard of them before," Izuku was saying to her.

"They have a similar style to Allister," Kairi told him. "If you like them, then you may enjoy Lucky Boys Confusion. Spotify and Pandora are amazing at suggesting like artists." Shoto came up on the other side of Kairi, receiving a small smile from the two of them when he joined.

"You're not too upset about earlier?" Shoto asked, voice lilted with a bit of concern. Kairi bit her lip and shrugged.

"What's the be upset about? At you, at least. You did what I couldn't. We needed to eat. It's survival. That's just how it is." He nodded, and then raised his right hand, the one that held the flower.

"Well, I'm sorry for whatever part was upsetting to you anyway." He stretched out the iris in front of her and Kairi's limbs rooted into the earth, ending her steps. Loose fingers swung along her sides while she burst from her center, but what feeling it was wasn't made clear. It didn't seem to be quite joy, but she hadn't felt startled. Shocked was more appropriate, but that hadn't been right.

"What...?" she whispered softly, trying to piece together why he was giving her a _hanashobu_, and for what reason. An apology? He hadn't done anything wrong. He was following exactly what they were supposed to do. Confusion. That was what she was feeling. Odd, touched confusion. Izuku gaped in surprise, eyes going from the splayed petals of the purple flower and then to Kairi's face. Back to Shoto's. He gulped and colored, as if he were watching something he shouldn't be watching, and turned his eyes down.

"I saw it back there and I thought maybe it might back you feel better."

"I..." she stammered and turned her warm eyes to her fidgeting fingers. "Stop trying to make me feel better..."

"Huh?" Izuku asked, confused.

"Stop it!" Kairi screamed, slamming a boot foot onto the ground. Their care was sweet, but it was getting to be too much. They were going out of their way to make sure she wasn't getting too overwhelmed and searching for ways to protect her. It wasn't that they seemed to believe her incapable, but it was making her sink into uselessness. As if she were something to babied, someone to protect rather than being someone who was training to be a hero. The strange fuzziness she received from their concern also came with the pit of regret and feeling like she was a burden. Her stomach rolled with the reminders of helplessness. "I'm supposed to be a hero, aren't I?! I need to be tough! I need to be able to recognize priorities above my own feelings! If I and my crew are starving, I need to be able to kill a fucking rabbit." The atmosphere was feeling with her rage and the animals around them scurried away, chattering and tweeting aggressively as they fought against each other. "I appreciate the care, the distractions, but this isn't helping! Do you think I truly can't do this? Do you think I'm incapable? Because I'm an emotional mess? Because you think I have a quirk that could make a villain?! Or wait, is it because I'm _female_?!"

"Enough, Hoshino!" Shoto shouted authoritatively. She shrunk under the impression of his voice, startled by the force he had taken. "First, I am astonished you would even consider that it had anything to do with you being a girl. That has nothing to do with your abilities, far from it. I would have thought you knew us better than that."

"It's not about if you can or can't do it. If we didn't think you could do this, we wouldn't have trusted you in getting our food. I didn't even do anything for that, that was all you and Todoroki," Izuku supplemented.

"It's about working as teammates, and caring for your team members. About listening to ideas, discussing options, and recognizing when something is too much for a team member. It's about knowing strengths and weaknesses," Shoto continued, still holding out the flower. The cold look he was giving her bore right through her and clenched tightly. Kairi bit the inside of her lip.

"I would be lying if I said knowing some of the difficulties you have faced hasn't played into this a little," Izuku confessed. "We're trying to demonstrate that we have your back. Even when you don't have faith in yourself, we have faith in you. I understand not being able to control your quirk. Maybe I'm not doing it the right way, but I have been trying to not overwhelm you because I know if a quirk is overused, it can be damaging. We have been trying to be considerate and understanding because we both know without the support of friends, getting stronger is that much harder." Shoto glanced at the flower in his hand again, more somber this time.

"I've never once thought you were weak. And I doubt Midoriya has either. We both experienced the strength of your quirk and we continue to see it. It really isn't a surprise that so many are fearful of its power." Kairi hugged herself sadly. "But that doesn't mean we feel we have a reason to be afraid. We don't believe you have the capacity to become a villain, as strong as your quirk is."

"We're just trying to help you grow your strength and confidence ay your pace," Izuku finished. She looked between them, feeling a mess from the way emotions tangled within. The heaviness of guilt, the lightness of friendship. Touched but angry at herself. Hopeful but feeling useless. It was a strange cocktail.

"I'm not used to this friend thing," Kairi said through gritted teeth.

"If you want use to back off and be a little more aggressive, we can," Shoto offered. Kairi shook her head.

"No, but maybe... maybe somewhere in between. Push me but like... if it is clear it is far too much then back off." Izuku nodded and stuck out a gloved thumbs up. Her eyes went to the blossom Shoto still held. "Could I... still have the flower? Even though I was a bit bitchy?"

"You weren't bitchy..." Shoto whispered and opened his palm again for her to take it. She inhaled its aroma and smiled.

"Wait." Her eyes bugged as she rolled the flower over in her hand. "Where did you say you found this?" Shoto pointed some distance behind him.

"Back there. Why?" Kairi practically jumped on him, pulling at the tabs on the backpack. Nimble fingers clattered through the contents and she ripped out the small book, flipping through the pages. She landed on a page with a drawing that resembled the flower in her hand.

"I knew it! There, look! _Hanashobu_!" Kairi held the book open for the boys to gander, showing it around.

"Yeah? It's poisonous," Izuku read.

"So don't eat it," Shoto said, still unsure of what she was gesturing to.

"No, no! Not that! It says the iris grows in moist soil, near water! We have to be near water!"

"What's the big deal though? Todoroki can just melt his ice and we have water," Izuku said.

"Because it means a change of scenery. It means progress. They say if you want to get out of a forest, you follow a river!" Kairi leapt wildly, glowing at the revelation she discovered. Her insides were thumping rhythmically and she clutched Shoto's present between her fingers as she ran back to where he said he had found it. Moving further in, she discovered another stalk of blooms. Shoto and Izuku brushed away the slapping branches that aimed for their faces as they followed her frantic footsteps. Kairi held up a hand, an order for them to pause. They silenced their steps. They remained still, not a single sound ringing through. The last touch of gold was fading from the flicker of the trees and a purple haze was beginning to creep in overhead. The night was expanding, and so were the sounds. Which meant the hushed screamed of water grew louder around them. Rushing water.

"It sounds like it's this way!" Shoto said, and tore off in the direction of the source. The other two stayed close behind him, kicking up stray leaves and branches as they did. The rush grew louder, til it was an anguished cry. The terrain curved into a small hill and the other side of it found a stream, wider than the three of them stacked together, but just barely. It was shallow, but deep enough for them to see the occasional small fish zip between the rocks. Kairi squealed happily and full of relief before she took it upon herself to first hug Izuku and then Shoto proudly.

"We did it! We found water!" she called brightly as her feet tapped ecstatically among the dirt and green fronds that surrounded them. Her running had stirred up a feeling of discomfort that started to compress between her hips.

"You did it," Izuku praised. Her face was aglow, so bright it could even be seen in the dimming light around them. And there were several irises, growing in stalks here and there around the stream, just as dazzling as the one Kairi continued to hold.

"Maybe this would be a good opportunity then, to set up camp for the night," Izuku suggested.

"No way! We can still search in the dark!" Kairi protested with a pout, as the discomfort became even tighter.

"Yeah, but if the sun is sinking, we have a water source, a food source that isn't going to make you feel guilty, you said we need to follow the river."

"But I was hoping to at least find the Teddy! At least a chance to. We could still look for a couple of hours!"

"That's best done when we have daylight," Shoto said. "If we get to sleep soon, then we can wake just as it's getting light and have more time to search." He began to gather small pieces of wood around them. Kairi held her legs tighter as she tried to push away the discomfort.

"Yeah I guess that makes sense," Kairi cave in, sighing. Her brow knitted desperately. "Soo, this is an odd question but there doesn't happen to be like... anything that can be used as a funnel in your bag, is there?" He looked up at her blankly while Izuku pensively stared at the stick he picked up, trying to deduce what she could need a funnel for.

"No? You weren't planning on baking were you?"

"Shit..." Kairi began to sweat again, desperately as the anxiety began to build. She clenched herself harder. They could sense it, the frantic growing rapidly. They paused their collections and watched her carefully as they waited for a response, and a reason for the sudden change in attitude again.

"What could you possibly need a funnel for out in the woods?" Shoto asked coolly.

"Ahh, well... I don't know if you noticed but the whole time we've been out here... I haven't once needed to sneak away and use the privacy feature on my bracelet." The boys understood what she meant and blanched. Izuku immediately busied himself with collecting another bundle of sticks for their fire. Shoto clamped a hand around his face.

"You were asking for a _funnel_ so you can... take care of business?" Shoto was cautious in his wording, brightening as he said it.

"Well, its not like I have a natural nozzle like you two do!"

"I'm going to look for more sticks upstream!" Izuku shouted and he began to scurry along the river, away from them. Kairi's face reflected the color of his lips and the wine-colored mark on Shoto's left eye blended in with the red overtaking his horrified expression.

"You can be pretty crass sometimes," was all he said.

"Well, it's the truth, isn't it?!"

"Okay, maybe but... you seriously haven't gone the entire time?!"

"No! I mean, I went before we left because I knew this was going to be an issue and I was trying to conserve water so I haven't actually had a lot of water."

"You're _dehydrated_ too?!"

"No! I mean I'm fine, I don't feel off or anything! I just haven't had as much water as I usually do! But it's now hitting me that I really got to pee and I have _never_ needed to go in the woods before. It's normalized for people, you know, built like you..."

"Kairi, please stop."

"I'm just saying it's... a little.. awkward."

"And this isn't?"

"You get it, Shoto!?"

"Yes, I understand!" It was starting to hurt the desperation that was clenching below her stomach. Shoto slipped off his bag and fished out the roll of toilet paper they had, tossing it in her direction. "Look, it's fine, no one is here. Go all the way over there, there's a giant bush that will hide you completely. I don't know if Midoriya is coming back for a while. Just make sure to tap the privacy button. We don't care how long you take, we won't say anything about it." Kairi clenched the roll to her chest nervously.

"Shoto, what if that ambush happens when..."

"Then you better do it quick, just... go, Kairi! Please." Too awkward to stand near him much longer, she bolted.

* * *

**Pssstt. I am absolutely terrible at titles and this is probably the only one I am proud of so if you come up with better chapter titles for each chapter please let me know!**


	18. Letting Guards Down

It had been easier to catch fish than it had been to catch their earlier meal. Kairi had shown them exactly what she had meant earlier about being a secret weapon to catch fish. Knowing she could already do it seemed to put her at ease quicker and in moments they had caught fish. Izuku helped Kairi clean the fish while Shoto set up the fire and began to cook their dinner. Kairi strewn out her sleeping bag and rested on top of it. She chugged her second water bottle, both of the boys having forced her to drink plenty more after she had revealed she had been drinking very little water. In the distance, the crickets and owls had a backdrop of a howl, the fire snapping in harmony to the music of the night.

"It's getting a bit chilly," Izuku said, watching Shoto turn the fish. "Surprising since it was so hot earlier. Kairi chug another gulp of water and then looked up.

"It's so bright. Amazing how the stars still seem to penetrate through the thickness of the trees." The iris Shoto had given her hung limply out of the opening of her own backpack.

"How do you think the other teams are doing?" Izuku asked.

"Tsu is probably killing it. She probably easily found water and she's wickedly smart," Kairi said.

"Kaminari might be holding her back though," Shoto remained, passing over one of the grilled fish to Izuku. Wary of its heat, he was careful in taking the stick it was one. Shoto began to turn another.

"Ochaco's with Iida, so they're probably doing really well." Izuku blew on the fish. "As long as Kirishima isn't too annoying."

"Kirishima is fine when Bakugo isn't around," Kairi said before she took another chug of water. "What were they thinking anyway? Sticking Bakugo with Momo and Aoyama? He's probably stressing them both out."

"I think Yaoyorozu could do just fine in the woods, but Aoyama is probably asking her to make him so many things and stressing her out. What were they thinking putting that group together?"

"I bet Yaoyorozu could have made a funnel," Shoto smirked. Kairi glared and picked up a small pebble, tossing it in his direction. He dodged it, but it came surprisingly close to his shoulder. He chuckled at the glare she was giving him.

"Do you think Jiro's fine with Mineta in her group?" Kairi asked just as Shoto passed her a speared fish.

"Mineta shows the least interest in Jiro. Says she isn't his type," Shoto said. "Not sure what that means."

"It means she doesn't have boobs so he doesn't care," Kairi said without missing a beat, inspiring a blush from Izuku. "Oh come _on_, like you didn't pick up on that!"

"I guess we weren't really paying attention?" Izuku said. Kairi smiled sweetly.

"I'm actually glad to hear that answer," she replied, biting into her fish.

"Besides that, Jiro isn't shy about giving him a beat down if she needs to. Of course, that doesn't mean Mineta's actions are right, but she wouldn't just take something if he tried anything. My guess is the teachers knew both of those things and that's why they put Mineta with her," said Shoto.

"I think we happen to be doing well," said Izuku.

"Yeah you probably would have found the Teddy if I wasn't slowing you down," Kairi sighed, dropping a few leaves into the hungry flames.

"You found us food. You found us water," Shoto stated. A hoot echoed through the shroud of darkness, among the melody of crickets. The fire popped in the few seconds of silence.

"You have a lot of skills, Kairi," Izuku replied earnestly. He pulled his grey bag towards him and the zipper whirred while he began to pull out the bedding content. Kairi shrugged and tucked her feet inside her sleeping bag. "I feel like the one who's done very little."

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses," Shoto reminded. Kairi flicked her eyes towards him, the fire illuminating her amber irises so they peered at him like gold. For a second, the light caught the red flourish in his face. _Then how do you seem to be so good at everything_? Kairi thought.

"I guess," Kairi mumbled, clearly unconvinced. "I'm just tired."

"Make sure you're drinking more water," Shoto commanded sternly.

"I'm going to pee every thirty minutes at this rate," she fumed under her breath.

"Good. By the time this exercise is over you will be an expert at peeing in the woods and won't need a funnel next time," Shoto teased again. Kairi narrowed her eyes, a visage that appeared rather eerily in the shadows of the dark lit flames.

"You are never going to let that go, are you?" He smirked impishly. "I have bigger rocks."

"I have fire and ice."

"Hey, when you become a famous hero, do you think they'll ask you to become the spokesperson for IcyHot?"

"Because that's the first time I've heard that one!" Shoto bit back sarcastically. Kairi laughed lowly at his response before she rolled her eyes and stepped out of her sleeping back. She headed the other direction of the campsite, picking up their one flashlight while she did. With the stream of white guiding her way, she followed the path back towards a hidden part of the woods. "Aren't you forgetting a funnel?" Izuku broke out into a guffaw of laughter as Kairi threw him a special one-fingered gestured. Shoto's chuckles followed Izuku waning laughs before they were silent once more.

"It's good to see you both laughing so much," Izuku said. Shoto shrugged. "You're getting along well."

"Her story reminds me a lot of my own," Shoto said. "I know how lonely that can be. I suppose that makes it easy to get along with her."

"Yeah, that makes sense you would feel more comfortable around her and feel the need to reach out to her," he said thoughtfully. "But it's not just because you feel pity for her, right?"

"No. I promise, I genuinely enjoy her company. She's a good friend."

"Was it really that difficult for her previous class to get along with her?"

"Maybe, depends on their quirks. I will admit, in the beginning it was a little terrifying when I experienced the effects of her quirks. Maybe we're a little more hardened. It's still hard to not want to run off or break down when her emotions become... explosive." Izuku nodded, and looked off into the direction where she had headed, waiting for her to come back.

"You don't always realize how strong emotions can be sometimes."

"Especially considering what she's experienced. I wouldn't say she goes out of her way to hide it, but there is a deeper pain in her she isn't overt about."

"Yeah it doesn't sound like she has the best home life, but her father seems okay from what she's said." Shoto shrugged and pulled his own sleeping bag around him.

"A parent can love you with their whole heart, and still make mistakes that scar you." Shoto's voice was caught in an echoing darkness, a morbid tone carried by the gentle breeze. Izuku shivered. "I wouldn't doubt that her father, as hard as he tries, still has in hand in... the personality she has taken. All the pain she's suffered, it wouldn't surprise me if that amplifies her quirk."

"Amplifies?" Izuku asked, seeking clarification.

"Emotions themselves are strong on their own, and can be enough to cripple you as we have seen from her. Pain is a particularly strong emotion. She hasn't gone into detail but I have no doubt she has seen and felt more pain due to her parents and peers' treatment than many people will understand. Because of that, she can deal some dangerous blows to a person's inner being. It's a powerful quirk alone, but the suffering she has seen has made it more intense." Izuku's sad eyes became lost into the lure of the fire, stinging from the word Shoto just delivered.

"You really understand her, don't you?"

"It's... easier for abuse victims to recognize other abuse victims. Especially when both of them received it due to their parents." His hand lightly touching the scarring around his left eye, remembering with a sorrow instead of a bitterness.

"It's really good you're friends then." A crack burst behind them and they whipped around, expecting to see Kairi. But there was nothing but blackness. Dismissing it as another animal, they fell into silence again.

A rush split through the air, a whistle riding on the wind. Reflexes alerted Shoto and curved wall of ice shot around the two boys, guarding them from the metal object with four or five spikes jutting from its center. The caltrop embedded itself against the ice shield Shoto had created. Both of them shot up from their sleeping bags. Izuku made to retrieve the flashlight, but then groaned remembering Kairi had it. Fire burst up Shoto's arm, expanding the light around the area they stood. Silhouettes emerged from behind a few trees, first two and then a third. Outlined by black, they could only tell the figures seemed to be male. One smaller, one shorter, one muscular. Izuku took a stance prepared for battle. Ice crept up Shot's right, flames spewing from his left.

A rush and a scuffle startled them, and a burst of fire shot towards the noise. Kairi yelped just as she jumped from embers in time. "You could have struck me, watch where you're aiming that!" she shouted.

"You know that ambush you were afraid would happen while you were in the bushes?" Shoto shouted.

"I_ knew_ that would happen!"

"Well, don't take so long then!"

"It's not exactly easy!"

"I have an older sister and I have never heard more female bathroom talk in my life combined than during this exercise!"

"Maybe we could focus more on defeating these guys?" Izuku suggested strongly as their enemies stepped into view. The muscular man had wild electric blue hair and golden eyes that resonated strongly against the vibrant flames coming off the boy. His skin wriggled and cleanly two or three more caltrops seeped from the surface. He whipped his arm and the caltrop flew just a few inches from their feet. A warning shot. The smaller man was young, not much older than them. His skin was beautiful, a silver sheen that expanded the light of the fires, reflecting it as if a dully shined mirror. His red hair was striking against the silver, brown eyes wild and determined. The third man was middle-aged and held a wicked gaze in his darkened eyes. He brushed his long dark hair out of his eyes.

"So this guy can grow caltrops from his skin," Kairi observed. "What are these guys' deals?"

"They just got here, we don't know yet," Izuku said. More caltrops grew. The older man swiped the two from his partner and they sliced the air. The night was less helpful in spotting where they landed, but Izuku took a step back – right on top of one of the barbs. He howled at the pain and then lifted his foot to see it stuck into his heel. Shoto waved his arm wide. The older man whispered something to his partners and the three jumped back, just out of the way of the fire curve.

"What?" Shoto asked. Izuku ripped the caltrop and winced through the action. Gritting his teeth, he widened his stance. His legs pulsed, energy flowing through them as he readied himself. Kairi jumped away – landing on another set of thrown caltrops, right under her feet. She swore loudly and fell against the ground. Pain flared through her, following by annoyed rage. She ripped the weapons from her boots and breathed with relief they had only scraped the bottom of her feet. Silently, she complimented herself for the choice of four inch soles and got to her feet again, assessing the situation and how she could best contribute.

Energetic legs guided Izuku as he ran towards the group, crying out aggressively. His powered legs launched him high and he rolled above their heads. "DAKOTA SMASH!" he screamed, both of his feet aimed to fall in the middle of them. Suddenly, Izuku was screaming wildly, and not from his move this time. He sounded desperately fearful and flailed his legs. Izuku landed on his back, the force pressing him into the dirt. He called out from the impact and ran to get back up, just as their foes were running around the sides of them.

"Izuku!" Kairi shouted, running to help him back to his feet.

"I jumped off a cliff!" he shouted, wincing as he took her offered hand to help him back up.

"What?" Kairi asked.

"I was in the air and I suddenly saw a cliff and I was probably 1000 feet from the ground. I was about to fall into the trees!"

"But, there was no cliff, you were right here! You were sailing through the air, ready to stomp them and suddenly you yelled and landed on the ground!" Izuku stood and looked back at the group.

"Could one of them have the quirk of illusion?" he asked her. Kairi gasped and looked back up, watching between the silver man and the older man. Shoto raised a hand and swiped the air. A twenty foot wall of ice shot between them and their opponents, momentarily blocking the view. Shoto ran back to join his teammates.

"Izuku figured out one of them has an illusion quirk," she told him. He nodded.

"Somehow, one of them knows what we're going to do before we do it," he added as well. "I think that's how they knew to throw Midoriya the illusion, to step out of the way of my attack, and to know where to throw those caltrops."

"So what do we do then? I'm essentially useless when it comes to fighting," Kairi said.

"They're not engaging in traditional combat either," Izuku said.

"It's fine, you can create illusions in a sense too," Shoto reminded.

"They're not illusions..." Kairi mumbled, but allowed herself to falter off, deciding this wasn't the time. "We need to see what's going on first. We'll be useless in the dark... Damn you Aizawa. Damn it, All Might! Did you have to pick this time?"

"Night time, when we're about to go to sleep, you're off responding to nature's call? Yes, I would say this is our most vulnerable and they probably planned it this way on purpose. We'll be fine though. You play _Dungeons and Dragons_, right Kairi?" She looked up at him, surprised by the answer. "I remember the books from when you first moved in. I never played but I know a little. We have a fighter, an illusionist, and someone who can use long-ranged attacks. Isn't that a pretty well-equipped team?"

"Yes, but that's a game!" she spat. "Caltrops can easily be defeated maybe, but that one knows our every move! How am I supposed to defeat that one when he could show me my greatest fear?" Izuku quickly pivoted her direction and shook her shoulders.

"Kairi, what's your biggest fear?"

"What would I tell you that?"

"To save us!"

"How is that going to save us?!"

"Loneliness," Shoto said, and the both of them stared him. Heckles and hollering could be heard on the other side of the large ice wall that shielded them. Light claps were heard from the other side, as caltrops were chucked at the wall to get them to turn back to fighting them. "Am I right?"

"How-"

"Doesn't matter." Shoto said. "What's the plan, Midoriya?"

"Do you have anything in your utility belt that reminds you of loneliness?" the green haired boy asked her. Her neck stiffened as dread settled against her. It was already settling in, the fear. Kairi didn't understand this plan. She hated triggering these memories. Even worse, if the teachers hand-picked these people for this exercise, they were likely just more staff members and weren't actually bad people. Whatever she was about to feel, they were about to feel. And she was using the strongest memory, the one that could bring her to her knees and those around her. The girl looked back at her teammates and her friends. Izuku looked hopeful. Shoto watched her with striking determination. In the face of the sinking dread, the faith they held in her was pumping urgency through her. Adrenaline shot through her. She needed to trust them, believe them. She didn't understand, but she knew them and cared for them long enough to trust them. They trusted her when she felt they shouldn't. They believed in her, and she couldn't disappoint them. Kairi looked up at the sky, taking in the scent of a crackling campfire, the smell of the crisp air, the wet grass, and the wildflowers on the breeze. She would need to remember this emotion and bottle it, saving it for later. Kairi ripped the awful memory from her belt, removing the top


	19. Building Up to Victory

**End notes contain a spoiler about Season 4 so if you're not caught up/don't read the manga, don't read the end note!**

* * *

"I need to be closer for this to hit," she told them. Shoto nodded and swept fire over the ice wall. It began to sweat and quickly diminished in its size as sheets of water poured down its side. When there was an opening in the wall wide enough, Kairi stepped forward and inhaled, her response igniting. The hospital. The blips. Bright lights. Blood, dirt, bleach. They all came cruising back to that moment when she believed she would be forever alone. When her father almost slipped away. Kairi shivered under the sweeping emotion, legs giving way til she was curled into the dirt. Her eyes seeped as she over filled. Their rivals all paused and seemed dumbfounded for a moment. The young man in silver smiled, a shadow of wickedness under his nose. Kairi opened her eyes and saw herself, standing in the hospital.

This was even worse than she had thought would happen. What was Midoriya thinking? Between the smells in her vial and the illusions that he had created, this felt real. The floor even felt solid and slapped as she walked across it. The smell of bleach was heavily suspended in her nose. The memory pumped back that deep stabbing pit and grew the devouring hole. Her chest expanded. Drums beat quickly through her ears, the percussion flowing through her limbs. Expectation and memory pushed her feet til she passed the nurse stations, following the call of urgent orders from doctors and nurses. Wheels running against a linoleum floor drilled louder as the gurney came into view. A still body, covered in splotchy sheets of crimson lay on it while the hospital staff pushed it past her. Sobbing, Kairi tried to scream for her father, but no sound came out. Her throat was torn apart, inflamed. A hand pressed against her shoulder and Kairi spun, the cold face of her mother staring at her. She smiled harshly and then pivoted. Kairi reached for her, but she couldn't reach her. She kept walking, fading as the hospital closed in around her. Kairi screamed, but the blips were drowning out her yell. They were increasing in speed, a threatening pulse. Kairi ran til the hospital closed around her mother's image and was left in darkness, her tears forming the standing water she now kneeled in.

They tried to ignore it. Izuku's plan was working, but it was coming at a cost. The pain of the illusion was so great, it was inflicting physical pain on their opponents as well. They stumbled in their movements and their timing was off, even with one of them being able to know their movements with expert precision. The younger man was clutching his chest. Izuku was mirroring the same action as the emotional turmoil crumbled their insides. Shoto grimaced through the pounding in his heart and shot a blazing stream in the direction of their enemies. The older man jumped out of the way quickly, but barely.

"He must be the one who can see our movements," Izuku observed, sweating from both fighting and the emotional war within.

"But he didn't tell his teammates," Shoto said. The Caltrop man jumped out of the way and the Illusionist broke his contact, the fire catching his clothes and he was forced to drop to the ground to roll it out. Kairi gasped as the images of their campsite came back and she groped at the dirt covered floor. Dry. Real. The smell hit her. She knew that hospital wasn't real, but it had awakened so many memories and fears, reminded of the most painful parts of her past, and worried her for the future. She swallowed and breathed, taking in the world around her. Kairi allowed herself to collapse against the ground, shoulders and core heavy from exhaustion.

"Get her out of there!" Shoto shouted, and Izuku was running. A blast with his right locked the illusionist in a frozen cage, holding him against the ground so she was incapable of moving. The older man swore quietly under his breath and shouted at his caltrop partner. The muscular man produced several of the jagged devices and chucked them in Izuku's path. Powered legs caused him to leap far, far enough to land on top of their caltrop friend.

"For for fu- why didn't you warn me?!" screamed Mr. Caltrop.

"I didn't see it!" barked back the older man. Izuku shot up and held out his leg, but then the old man intercepted. He flung himself, and kicked up, blocking Izuku's blow against his partner. Izuku pushed off with his strengthen leg, backflipping to where Kairi was stumbling to get back up. He took a hold of her and ripped her from her position and they stood beside each other again.

"How did you...? Kairi began.

` "I had a hunch that if you relived your worst fear, he could sense that and would design an illusion based on that," Izuku explained.

"Which was thankfully, correct," Shoto continued. "Sorry that we had use you as bait and make you relive whatever that was. It felt... awful." He shuddered. "But the illusion helped to strengthen the feeling and the group was distracted enough that I was able to pin one of them down."

"They didn't predict that kick," Izuku said.

"What?"

"When I leapt out of the way of the caltrops, I just reacted, and I ended up on top of that guy. But when I went to kick him again, then they knew and they kept me from doing so."

"He can only know our movements when we plan them!" Kairi gasped. "We have to be unpredictable then, we have to just attack without thinking."

"Hold on," Shoto said. "So why didn't they know Kairi was going to do what she did?"

"Because he's not a mind-reader!" Kairi yelled, bouncing excitedly with her revelation. "Sorry; it's just my dad happens to have a mind-reading quirk. Last year, during the Sports Festival; he told me knew what emotions I was going to try and conjure before I did them because he was reading my mind. This guy seems like he can predict the future, or at least the recent future; but he doesn't know what we're thinking. He can see the action that happens once its been planned, but he can't read our thoughts. He probably could see me reaching for a vial but he didn't know what it would do; he doesn't know what they are and he can see physical manifestations of actions but-"

"Not emotions!" Izuku completed with bright eyes. Kairi nodded with approval.

"So he can't see your quirk, but can see ours." Shoto said. "Okay, Kairi."

"What do you need me to do?" she asked quickly, ready and willing to follow his instruction and now holding full trust in him. Shoto colored slightly and struggled to hold back a small smile.

"Is there something you can do to make him decide he doesn't need to attack us?" Kairi cocked her head, bewilderment scrawled on her face. "Like make him feel like this is too easy, we're too weak, he doesn't need to do much. Drop his guard, feel proud and calm about the situation."

"I have calm," Kairi nodded. She screwed up her face and visibly was seen gnawing on her lip nervously. "I... don't have... pride." The boys exchanged looks, both shocked and saddened.

"You don't have memories of feeling pride."

"I mean, I have been proud of some test scores but I don't have anything that's strong enough to have become a bottled memory."

"Do you have anything that might work and achieve a similar result?" Izuku asked. Kairi looked around. She pushed aside the calls from their foes to keep attacking, to come after them. Her eyes fell to the fire and the abandoning sleeping bags. Backlit warm eyes flew to the man imprisoned in his ice hold. She turned back to her friends, patient eyes blinking back at her.

"Yes," she said. "This moment."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.

"Your faith and determination in me." Shoto's expression asked her to explain further. "Okay so it's not exactly pride and assurance that will make him believe he can do this. But moments ago when you asked me to reveal my greatest fear, you... you seemed like you truly believed in me. Like, _really_ believe in me. Have the utmost faith in me. Like you are assured without a doubt I can do this."

"We do," Izuku replied. Kairi's smile glowed brighter than the fire around them.

"Knowing that you rely on me and have that faith made me determined. It wasn't about whether or I could do it. It was that I had to. There was no other option. Because you are so sure I can, I couldn't disappoint you. You're my friends and I..." her words caught in her throat as she attempted to push them out. She realized how little she had said something to the effect she was about to. It occurred to Kairi then, she may never have said the words she was about to say to anyone outside of her family. "I care about you so much. More than I thought I could. And that belief is a huge boost in me, reminding me I can't fail. I can't disappoint you. I won't. I... I need to remember this. I need this as another tool in my arsenal. I need to make this a vivid memory. I need to use this now, and I need to keep it for future use."

"Okay, is there... some special way you need to do that?" Shoto slowly asked, suspiciously eyeing her. Her face reddened and she lowered her gaze to her feet. Twiddling fingers, her stomach wrinkled and twisted that awkward feeling she got when she felt embarrassed.

"It's the merging of smells. I'll need to have support develop this scent for me, but I need to remember specific smells that trigger this memory. I have the smell of smoke, of the nighttime summer air, the sweetness from the flowers... but that's almost too similar to my calm scent. I need something that will make this stand out, of those who inspired this feeling in me. I need a scent that reminds me... of... you... two..." Kairi spilled out the last few words slowly, noting how much stranger they sounded when they left her mouth. The boys exchanged looks for a moment.

"Fine," Shoto said. "I can give you a shirt or something support can extract my scent from or something from later."

"It doesn't work unless I have a way to connect it to this memory right... now... So I..."

"Have to smell us?!" Izuku practically squeaked.

"I know it's weird!" Kairi flailed defensively, hands and feet flying away from her. "But it's how it works and...!" Shoto arms already were holding her tight against him, fingers pressed against her head to angle her nose deep into his neck. Kairi released the smallest of squeaks, startled by the sudden hug he was given her. Her mind scrambled, pulling her away from the surprise and reminding her this was a hug with a purpose. She steadied her breath and zoned in on his scent; a light natural mask that had a waft of crispness mingling with a smoky scent. It was hard to know if that was his natural smell or an effect of his quirk but it was distinct, similar to a light incense..

"Why are you hugging when we have enemies to fight?!" Izuku wildly protested.

"Get in here, Midoriya!" Shoto yelled. Izuku sounded urgent and somewhat anxious, but listened and hugged Kairi from her other side. Breathing deeply again, Kairi made a note of the earthy scent tangled with his sweat and a freshness from whatever deodorant he was wearing. After a few quick moments, Kairi pulled away, assured of her memory. She nodded and centered herself internally. Their opponents were growing annoyed and several caltrops were thrown her direction. Shoto shot up a small wall to block them from her while she concentrated. Kairi replayed their words, the look in their eyes. The wind picked up the scents around her. She needed to do this. She needed to help them pass. Failure wasn't an option. They relied on her. They were her friends and believed in her. Kairi let out a calmed breath. Reviewing her mantra, she talked herself into a lulled calm and the pedestal of faith. There was no way she could fail, not now. They would be defeated. That was the only possible way. No other option existed.

Then, Izuku and Shoto planned quickly – in which there was no plan. They would allow their bodies to guide them. They would react to impulses, for that was the only way to get past the quirk of the older man. They remained in front of Kairi, giving her the space to keep her mind and feelings calm and serving as her protection from any attack that might be thrown at them. Shoto stayed near her sides just in case, throwing his arms every which way so spots of ice shelves and torrents of fire exploded around them. Izuku leapt, feet impounded the earth in small spurts and trees shattering under his blows. With no plan, their attacks were chaotic – but effective. The older man was first cocky, telling his partner they were just kids and could easily take him down. He ignored Kairi and Shoto and focused on trying to knock Izuku out of the air; but the chaos was making Caltrops man nervous. He was rapidly creating the weapons, throwing them out at their feet. Shoto exploded a wave of ice near the man that startled four out of him in one area – and his muscles were beginning to crack. Veins of blood trickled down his arm. Izuku shot his eyes in the direction of the man's muscle, noticing how the stress was weighing on hip. Zips of fire; pillars of ice; trees cracked and the ground collapsing under Izuku's frantic power jumps and blows. It was a sight, a storm of the elements at play. The man continued to bleed as his muscles began to tear apart.

"They're unpredictable!" screamed the man who could see the brief future. "There's no pattern, no decision making! They have no plan!" An upheaval of ice shot up at the man and toppled him onto the ground. Shoto punched the air and ice wrapped around him, holding him against the ground. He nodded, and Izuku came down with one aimed leg powered by adrenaline.

"WYOMING SMASH!" he shouted and planted a foot right into the man's stomach. He folded under the weight and Izuku drove him right into the dirt. With the ground holding him in a muscle man sized hole, Shoto waved one final right arm, and ice formed around his body. The three opponents were encased in Shoto's ice cages and were left with nothing else to do. Izuku called victoriously and ran back to his teammates. They were disheveled, a few tears in their costumes and smears of dirt and sweat across their face. Kairi's hair was knotted and unkempt. They matched the environment they were in, clothes darkened by perspiration. But they were joyful, proud of their achievement. The older man managed a weak thumbs up, assuring them they had successfully completed the ambush attack. The thrum of a helicopter could be heard in the distance, a sign that someone was coming to collect those who had were currently being held to the ground. Moving quickly, the group collected their few things. Shoto shoved the rest of the items into the red bag and stamped out the fire before they followed the stream further up the hill it ran down. There was an extra bounce in their limping feet as they ran to craft a new campsite.

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**Soooo... I began writing this story well before Season 4 and as I said, I don't read the manga so I was not aware of the existence of Nighteye too much and didn't know he had Foresight. Whereas the "enemy" I made in this story kinda of has that? So I made him up before I knew it was kind of already a quirk with someone (which you might actually encounter a lot in my cameo characters, saying that right now). Buuuttt the difference is my dude can only see up to ten minutes and Nighteye can see up to an hour. Also, it changes if the person's mind can. Since Nighteye's Foresight is never wrong, I don't think his works that way am I correct? Anyway so sorry if doubling up on that quirk bothered you! It was an accident, promise!**

**But hey, there's got to be people with quirks similar to other quirks people who are completely unrelated to them have. I mean, Dabi has a fire quirk and he's totally absolutely completely not a Todoroki... right?**

**RIGHT?!**


	20. Slipping into the Darkest Cascade

Much further upstream, their laughter died down and they began to make camp again. Sleeping blankets were shaken and splayed out and Shoto got to work resetting a small fire. Kairi kneeled, wincing as she felt another jolt of pain through her heels. The adrenaline they had been high off of caused both her and Izuku to forget for a moment about the pricks of blood in their feet. It wasn't serious, and they were able to stumble away quickly on them. Thankfully, the barbs were small enough to not cause any serious damage, and the soles are their boots were thick enough to prevent anything major. But a little blood still seeped through and they were in need of attention lest they get infected. Kairi dragged the red bag towards her and dug til she found the first aid kit. Beside her, Izuku removed his right foot, frowning as he looked inside it.

"Well, thankfully it only looks bad," he hissed, removing a sock splotched in red. Kairi undid the clasps on her own shoes. They throbbed as she slowly pulled them off over her heels. Just like her teammate, the soles of her socks were dyed with her blood. They chucked their shoes and socks into a pile and shared the kit between them, retrieving alcohol pads and gauze to clean themselves.

"Fu..." Kairi whimpered, holding the thick pad against the ball of her foot. The pain seared as it ripped through her whole foot. Izuku shared a similar expression.

"I suppose you didn't think to bring extra socks?" Shoto asked, already giving in to an answer.

"Why would we think to do that?" Kairi snapped, breathing through her pain.

"Fair point," he said, tossing a couple more sticks into the snapping flames. He scooped up the pairs of boots and socks and followed the curve back to the glistening stream. Shoto leaned over the water and dunked the items in the water, wringing them out a few times. Izuku was rolling medical tape around his foot when he returned with damp shoes and socks. Kairi took the tape and proceeded to do the same to both her feet as Shoto propped up a few Y shaped sticks he found strewn about, creating a small, makeshift drying rack. Helpfully, he placed the socks over it and positioned it before the fire, and placed the boots beside them. Kairi closed up the first aid kit and the three of them pulled themselves into their sleeping bags.

"If we get ambushed again while we're sleep, I hope Aizawa is ready to know what pain means," Kairi said, zipping her cocoon around her. Izuku snorted. With a few more yawns and they muscles crying out to remind them how exhausted they were, one by one, they eventually fell asleep.

The golden light of morning didn't register with Kairi. Nor did the biting crisp of morning air or the awakening songs of the birds alert her. Shoto had been the first awake and set about to create another fire in place of the one that had burned out. He was already moving about when Izuku rose, feeling groggy. A busybody, Shoto moved around the camp area, shuffling through bushes for any source of food.

"Should I wake her?" Izuku asked while Shoto watched another squirrel scramble away. Shoto shook his head.

"No. We only have a few hours left of this exercise. If we miss breakfast, we'll be okay in a few hours. We may be a little hungry but at this point, we're expected just to wait in the woods. We could not move from this spot and still complete this exercise. After yesterday, I don't feel right making her do that again," Shoto said. Izuku nodded. Shoto looked up a wide tree and stepped back, examining it. Determined, he reached for the lowest branch and pulled himself up, scaling its bar. Izuku stepped out of his sleeping bag and winced as he set his foot down. Picking up a dry sock, he pulled it over his bandaged foot and then stepped back into his still slightly damp boot. He began to search through the foliage.

They spent their time as Kairi continued to sleep, flopping around in her bag. In twenty minutes, Shoto jumped back down. His eyes were down, an indicator he had been unsuccessful in his search. Izuku poured two more handfuls of bright red berries into their communal pot, already half-full.

"I could only find wineberries, but there seem to be a lot around here," Izuku said, tilting the pot for show.

"Good, that will at least give us something." Shoto said. He raised one brow in the direction of the curled sleeping bag. He breathed heavily and dropped his shoulders in defeat before stepping and gripping a hold of the fabric. "Kairi. Wake up." She shook her head and pulled at the blanket again. "Midoriya found some wineberries. You should eat something before we continue."

"It's freezing," she mumbled. She pulled the sleeping bag open just enough so only her eyes peered out.

"You'll get used to it after a few moments."

"I don't want to get used to it. I want to go back to a magical land where I can snuggle into fluffy clouds and everything is okay and I get hugs from stuffed animals every day," Kairi groaned, reluctantly pushing aside her coverings, without removing her feet. She reached for her mostly dry socks and put them on quickly before inching closer to the fire.

"Maybe we should try to find the bear," Kairi suggested with a shrug. "We got a few hours left."

"They didn't really give us a lot of info," Izuku said, popping a couple of wineberries into his mouth. "We headed northeast, and it just said a dark cascade. I assumed that had something to do with nighttime. What does that even mean?"

"Maybe it's something morbid," Kairi yawned, reaching for a handful of berries from the pot near the fire. "Something creepy."

"What _would_ that mean? What do they mean by cascade?" Shoto thought aloud.

"An electronic dance music artist?" Kairi suggested, popping a few of the red berries into her mouth. Izuku screwed up his expression to echo his confusion. Shoto merely gave her a blank stare and dropped his shoulders. "What?"

"Well, a cascade is something that falls down," Izuku muttered. "That could be really anything, a lot of things fall down. It could be a tree. Are we supposed to look for a creepy, knotted tree that's fallen down? Or maybe we're meant to look for one that's hidden in shadow."

"A haunted fallen tree?" Kairi said, shaking her head. "No, no, that seems a bit farfetched. That's a poorly written clue, I think. Doesn't cascade mean more like... something that doesn't just fall down but stream down? Like continuously? And it's usually used to describe something beautiful, something that flows down and..."

"A waterfall," Shoto whispered. The two teammates looked at him. Kairi roughly swallowed and then spun herself to look at the stream flowing smoothly before them. Her bulging eyes followed the direction of the water. Flowing down, the source seemed to be coming from.

"The water seemed to be heading southwest, meaning the source of the stream is..."

"Northeast," finished Izuku, standing up as well. Kairi snatched her boots and slipped back into them, finding them hot but they still hadn't completely dried over the night. She kicked at the fire, grinding the heel of her boot into it til it was just a smoldering pile of ash. Sleeping bags rolled and stashed, backpacks secured to them, the group walked along the side of the stream. The dirt and twigs crunched below their feet as the sun grew brighter, dancing over the emerald hues of the forest. The deep blue bubble guided their path as it cut through the forest. The three walked alongside it for nearly forty-five minutes until it just seemed to stop right against a large rocky mound, as if water was pouring out from it alone.

"That can't be right, it's got to be coming from under it," Kairi said. Stepping a few paces back revealed the boulder was a part of a large, craggy mound. It interrupted the pattern of trees around them to rise and expand out into a jagged hill that met with the beginning of a cliff face. "Is this the end of the forest?" Shoto remained silent and knelt to undo his boots. He set them to the side of the river and then shrugged off his bag before slipping into the stream – which had turned out to be deceptively deeper than by first glance. Reaching his lips, it seemed river was more befitting it, although it was a small river. Shoto took in a deep breath and then flipped his head into the surface, disappearing. The water shifted as he moved and bubbles vanished just under the rock face. There was a moment before they appeared again and he popped back up.

"Yeah," he gasped. "It's an opening, and looks like it keeps going into the rock." Kairi looked back up at the rocky arch before them, realization sparking in her eyes.

"It's a cave?" she asked.

"My guess there's a waterfall in this cave," Shoto said.

"A dark cascade!" Izuku exclaimed. Shoto nodded while Kairi knelt down and already began to unclasp her boots and rolled her socks off her feet, shoving them into her boots. She abandoned her backpack on the bank.

"Can you swim?" Shoto said as he bobbed in the water, gesturing to her feet.

"It's fine, just a little achy. They're not that sore, my boots took most of the damage anyway." Kairi slid off the edge of the bank and plunked into the water, rotating her arms to tread. They looked up and Izuku and waited. "Are you coming?"

"Don't you think someone should stay back here?" Izuku asked.

"For what reason?" Kairi said. "Have you ever seen fantasy film, or a horror movie? Or even an old children's show? Don't split the party. That's when bad things happen." Convinced enough by that argument, Izuku stepped out of his own boots, tossed aside his backpack, and jumped into the water behind them. Following their form, Kairi took in a deep breath before she dropped her head below the water. The green darkness around her was murky; rocks and branches were mere shadows just before they passed her by. She kicked her aching legs, finding the ripeness of the cold really zipped her awake quickly. The water turned black for a moment, as they passed under the stone arch that spat out the river. Hands out in front to guide them, legs slamming against the water behind, the followed against the current until the light changed again. A deep blue still soft backlit the natural resources in the water, as the rocks became plentiful and Kairi had to twist her body to curve through the thinning passage. It widened a little more and she relaxed in her swimming. Kairi held up her arm, punching through the surface above and felt cool air brush over her palm. She arched her neck and rushed upward, inhaling a puncturing breath as it burned over her throat. Izuku clamored over a piece of dry rock first and then held out his hand to Kairi. She took it and led him guide her onto the rock before Shoto climbed out of the water after her. The landing they stood on curved, and stretched beyond a glistening white rush of water, falling from a thin opening in the rock that allowed a glimmer of sunlight.

"Wow," Kairi breathed, eyes dazzled by the sight of the torrent pouring down just before them. The light above fell over the water, reigning in a touch of gold over the small cave. The glow gave the darkness a blue tint and echoed fantastical elements within the cave. "A waterfall hidden in a cave."

"To think, we almost didn't come to find it," Izuku awed. "That's amazing."

"There," Shoto said, pointed to the crevice behind the falling water. The group was careful to step, picking the safest, driest looking stones and then shimmying along the cave wall. Shoto slipped into the slivered opening and the heard the movement of chains. Peering in, they saw their victim – a teddy bear was being held to the wall with a criss cross of thick chains. Shoto held out his right arm and shot a couple spurts of ice around the lock. He stepped away and looked to Izuku, who shuffled in behind him. Izuku raised a leg and lightly tapped a powered foot against the lock, breaking it apart easily. He picked up the bear and the two of them wriggled out of the tight area.

"Okay," Izuku said. "We saved the bear. Let's head back."

"Wait a moment," Kairi said, sitting on the ledge of the landing and kicking her legs in the cool water. "I want to take this in for a moment." The liquid light in her amber eyes grew with her captivation as she stared rush of water falling in front of them. Immune to any other movement in the water, any sound of a skittering insect, or the breathing or her teammates, Kairi locked her vision onto the scene before her. Joy and wonder beheld her face, a glow circling her expression. Izuku smiled, eyes following her own.

"Yeah, it's a pretty awesome sight, isn't it? Aizawa and All Might picked a good spot," he said. Shoto watched it carefully, and then found his eyes falling onto Kairi. Briefly, he studied the way her eyes twinkled, how her lips curved into an astounded smile, how the blue shadows swept under the brightness in her cheeks. A warm ease swept over him, finding something in him that was proud she had this moment. A smile pinned itself to his face, a rare joy reaching him that she had seen something that made her this happy, this captivated.

Kairi slipped off and jumped back into the water, instantly taking to the flow of the current. Izuku strapped the Teddy to his belt and leapt in after, Shoto jumping in behind them. It was easier, this time the flow pulling them through rather than fighting against it. Kairi narrowly wriggled her body through the narrowing between the rocks again and blinked when the water darkened again. The green glow welcomed her again and she rotated her limbs to propel herself through. When she looked up to see a sheen trying to cut through the water, she launched herself through the surface and slicked back her saturated hair. She turned around to see Izuku appeared and tread against the water, his waves clingy to his wet face. She grinned happily and peered around him to look for Shot – except he didn't show up. "Wasn't Shoto behind you?"

"Huh? Yeah he was..." Izuku spun and frowned. No bubbles or splitting of water indicated his presence. Kairi's gut dropped.

"Shoto?" she asked again. "Todoroki!"

"Todoroki!" Izuku called. They moved towards the rock again, waiting for a sign. It didn't come.

"FUCK!" Kairi shouted and immediately dipped on back down into the water. She slammed against the steady current and flailed hurriedly through the dim coolness around her. The shadows formed again, beginning to narrow around the rocks. A flash of blue caught her attention and she waved her body through, grabbing the hand and floated sleeve. Her chest burned with panic when the mop of red and white hair erratically moved through the water. Breathing out through her nose with tightened lips, Kairi swam around him and looked with a question in her eyes. His eyes were both wide and startled, but he used them to gesture to his foot. He had made a slight error in some way, and his foot was held by two jutting edges of rock, right in the narrowest part of the passage. A passage that she was able to avoid because her body was smaller and Izuku had smaller feet. But the rocks held Shoto's foot in a cutting vice. Wisps of blood floated from the punctures, but the pain was not the worst of the worries. Shoto was nearing holding his breath for longer than what the average person could, and he was beginning to thrash.

She acted, tangled her arms around his legging and pulling up. Her chest beat in a fast rhythm while her skin crawled with urgency. Kairi tugged harder just as the water moved and splashed. Izuku appeared, looking between the two. Kairi pointed at the rock and his foot, still pulling at his leg. Izuku pointed at his leg, and then at the rock. Kairi nodded, understanding, though her form was still raging with panic. With the little room they had, she swam backwards, around Shoto's head. His eyelids were beginning to fall and Kairi's own throat was beginning to tighten in her desperation for air. She would need to go back for air. She would have to breathe. She may need to come back and... and...

The thought hadn't completed as she popped again just on the other side of the rock. Kairi took in two deep heavy breaths and then sunk below, swimming til she was just behind the boy's body. Arms wrapped under his armpits as she prepared herself to pull. The water slammed and rushed as she felt the impact of the blow Izuku delivered. It sent a waver through the water and Kairi held Shoto's head down to avoid hitting more rocks as the force pushed them through. They moved with the current and in mere seconds they had launched through the opening again. Kairi lifted Shoto out of the water, pulling herself with him and gulped in air. He hadn't made any movement to do the same as she pulled him onto the bank, water seeping off both their bodies.

"Shoto?" she asked, flopping him into the dirt. His eyes were closed and he seemed listless. Kairi gripped his shoulders as her heart thundered, electric pulses shaking through her body. "Shoto!"

"Todoroki!" Izuku shouted as he rushed up beside him. "Come on..."

"Shoto! Todoroki! Wake up!" Kairi sobbed. She looked up at the sky, searching for any sign of those cameras that were hiding in the forest. She stared at her bracelet and held down the emergency button. Izuku copied her, holding down his own. This didn't make sense. Shoto was the strongest. He was the best. He couldn't be done in by a tight space under water of all things. This wasn't happening. Kairi's brain ran, jumping from one end to the other as she spun in circle trying to connect the dots that just didn't reach. He was a _Todoroki_, for crying out loud. He couldn't. Not here, not this way.

"Todoroki, get up!" Izuku screamed desperately, his own emotion mingling with the frantic Kairi was experiencing and projecting. A helicopter began to whir over here and she prayed that was for them.

"Shoto_, GET UP!_" Her voice ripped from her. Grief pounded her fists against his chest, and it was as if the idea sparked in her. Nodding with acknowledgement of what she had to do, Kairi pulled at the center of his hero costume, the blue threads tearing away with a scream. She curled one hand over the other and beat into his sternum, pushing as hard as she could. _Don't worry about the ribs_, she recalled her father saying. _They can fix ribs. They can't bring you back to life._ So she did, forcing her hands against him as hard as she could. A pop, a crack sounded as she slammed her fists into him. No change. His face was almost as pale at the right side of his hair. Tears leaked from her lashes and fell across his face. Kairi curled an arm under his neck and raised his neck, forcing down the agonized clench in her throat and reminding herself she had to do this. This was his life.

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**It's a Todoroki X OC fic so of course he's not dead! :P So do not worry :)**


	21. Rescued

**To the very few of you reading this work - first of all thank you! Second; I greatly apologize. I am trying to do regularly daily updates on this story but this week has been MAAADDD. When I wasn't working (And I work retail AND it was Black Friday this week!) I was running running running and struggling to get enough sleep and... updating just didn't get done. Sorry! I finally was able to just relax and get this up for you!**

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Water spurted up into her eyes when she was mere inches from his face. Kairi gasped first at the surprise sensation and then watched the color fill his face again. Shoto hacked, and coughed again, turning onto his side to spit out the water.

"Shoto!" she cried out, watching him wobble as he turned over.

"Yeah..." he grumbled. "That was a bit unpleasant."

"A bit?" Izuku scoffed, ready to spill over with tears of his own.

"Ahh, ugh..." He said, and then cried out. Shoto fell back into the dirt and gripped his chest. "Damn it! Ahhh!"

"Don't move!" Kairi said. "I think they're coming, I... I made the emergency call and I hear helicopters... they're close!" They were indeed close. The rapid flutter rapped through the air, growing louder than summer cicadas.

"Shoto, Kairi saved your life," Izuku said proudly.

"No! Izuku did! He smashed the rock you were jammed between," Kairi said,

"But you did chest compressions and didn't hesitate."

"Is that why my chest burns?!" Shoto screamed, still writhing from the pain. From beyond the trees they heard heavy rushing through the leaves and brush. The students looked up and saw two foreign faces dressed nicely in white and their teachers All Might and Aizawa running towards them. They looked over the scene; Izuku and Kairi leaning over Shoto as his face was twisted in agony and his hands holding tight to his exposed chest, his foot mangled and bloody. The man and woman in white ran back.

"Todoroki!" All Might shouted.

"It's okay! He's alive!" Izuku said to them.

"He's in a lot of pain though," Kairi said regretfully. "Thanks to me."

"I'm alive..." Shoto breathed through a strained voice. His eyes found hers, holding them still. "Thanks to you." The two others came back wheeling a stretcher awkwardly through the dirt and twigs. With the advice to stand back, Izuku and Kairi returned to their teachers' sides and watched as he was helped onto the stretcher. The woman held a hand over his mouth as they ran the stretcher back towards the helicopter. The two students walked aggressively aside their teachers and watched their friend loaded into the opening at the side of the black bulbous vehicle. The wind swept up as the blades began to spin. Twigs and leaves whirled around them as it lifted from the ground and wove around, quickly fading as a block dot in the distance.

"Todoroki is going to be fine," All Might assured, his smile genuine though it did look strikingly creepy against his skeletal form. "You made sure of that."

"He'll be a bit beat up and may have to be in the hospital for a few days, but I'm sure we can speed up his recovery by bringing Recovery Girl in," Aizawa said. "We're going to end the exercise for you two. I called in a bus on the helicopter and it should be here to collect us soon." Kairi's mind hadn't settled. Shoto had almost died. Her friend, one of her first friends. He was almost gone, in a moment. All because she had to insist on the bear for that damn extra credit. They could have still been around the fire, laughing, and then in just a few hours been at the cabin again and playing games. Now, the rest of the trip was ruined. They had been so excited for it. She had put her friend in the hospital. Mind clear of the hysterics as it all set in, it became too much for Kairi.

She collapsed to her knees and wailed as her teachers stood around, unequipped to know what to do. Kairi screamed, pounding her fists in the earth as her heart shook, her body quivering under the weight of her emotion.

"K... Kai... Kairi!" Izuku yelled, searching to calm her. But she was projecting far too much. It had gotten to him. The agony tore through Izuku and he was shaking in place, clutching himself as if he needed to keep himself from bursting. All Might didn't cry like them, but he was struggling to contain himself. He paced angrily and kicked at a tree, screaming. Mr. Aizawa looked down at Kairi and shook for a moment. Then he stared hard. Izuku's wail slowed and All Might paused his violent steps. They looked up at Aizawa, understanding he had just erased her quirk for a moment.

"Hoshino, stand up!" he ordered. She stumbled and wiped at her nose but rose, still blubbering uncontrollably. Aizawa leaned in til he was her height and tightened his grip on her shoulders. Level with her, his tired eyes widened holding her own gaze. "Listen to me. You _saved_ him. You and Midoriya both saved him."

"If it weren't for me, he never would have gone in there! I shouldn't have been focused on the bear, you said it wasn't the goal anyway! We should have quit wh-while we were... ahead! It was my fault! It was my quirk! My want, my drive... he felt it, Mr. Aizawa! I made him want it to! My need to have good grades, he was influenced by that! It almost _KILLED HIM_! I... I... I came... so-so close to losing a friend and I don't... it was me! I did that! If I hadn't been selfish, I had j-just..."

"No! Kairi..." came All Might, breaking between Mr. Aizawa and her. "You just wanted a good grade. There is nothing wrong with that. We have cameras, remember? We can roll back and review the footage. You didn't shove, you didn't insist. You didn't make them do anything!"

"But it was _my feelings!_" Aizawa blinked, the strain becoming hard on him. "_It's always my feelings_! My emotions started a fight in my old class because I got mad and everyone got mad at each other! My emotions ended a lifelong friendship in my old class! My emotions resulted in a girl in my old class revealing a deep secret! My emotions broke up my parents, and now my emotions _ALMOST KILLED SHOTO_!" She wailed hysterically, falling back into the ground again, but All Might crouched beside her, placing a gentle hand against her shoulder.

"The reasons why he went in there doesn't matter, Kairi," All Might told her calmly. "Something like that can happen out in the field. Something like that can happen at any time to any hero. The circumstances do not matter. The part that matters is that you both took initiative. You jumped in and went after him the minute you knew something was wrong. You didn't hesitate. You performed CPR, and you did it _right_. You knew how to do it. Your care, your fear saved him. _Your emotions saved him_." Her sobs slowed to sputters and sniffles as she looked up. Her eyes went to Izuku, who nodded with confirmation. "Your quirk has its drawbacks, as every quirk does. You focus on the negative feelings it enhances and projects. Which it does. But you know what else it does? It enhances joy, it enhances compassion, it enhances love." Kairi blinked at stared up at him. "And sometimes, even enhancing negative emotions is a good thing. I'm sure Midoriya was already afraid. But your fear projected onto him and forced you two to move. Fear sometimes freezes people, but Todoroki is a genuine friend of yours. You feel emotions strongly. That means you also have more compassion, and care for people more than some might. That care combined with fear caused you to jump into action. It's possible that may not have happened if you didn't have quirk. Your emotions are a _gift_, Hoshino. Not a curse."

_ Your emotions are a gift_. Those words had never once been said to her. Her crying slowed to a near halt, her tears pausing on her face so all that was left was a sheen. Had that really been the case? Were her emotions really what helped her in getting him out of the water.

"You were quick to make a judgment, Kairi, and it was the right call. You listened to your gut. You followed your intuition," Izuku agreed, then he turned his expression pensively. "Kairi, you talk about not being a fighter. Maybe you're not, but maybe you're a different hero. You acted quickly. You're sensitive to others, you're in tune to your emotions. You are constantly aware of your words and how they make other people feel, how your emotions affect others. You are observant to your surroundings and you can move quickly. When your emotions hit, you respond. You can move up trees faster than either of us, and your wits helped come into play on this exercise so surviving was almost too easy for us. Maybe you're a rescuer." Kairi's heart beat proudly and she whipped back around to him. Not a sound was made, but it was clear Izuku's observation hit not just Kairi but the teachers as well as they inaudibly gasped. Kairi, not quite calm but quiet, slowly moved forward. Arms flung around Izuku quickly and tightened, grateful for his words, his help in rescuing Shoto, and his friendship.

Izuku and Kairi were brought to their rooms and both took time to shower and get dressed before the others arrived. She retrieved the iris from the front of her backpack before she had to give it back. It was a little smooshed and withered, but she thought she could press it and it would still look nice. Finding a book she had brought along with her, she hid it inside and decided a nap would calm her down. Feeling sore and ragged, a nap was probably the best thing for her.

Uraraka awoke her when she walked in, jabbering away about how tired she was and how the floor had left her so stiff. Kairi was quiet, nodding with her words but it was clear she wasn't aware of what had happened.

"So how was your exercise?" she finally asked cheerful.

"Eventful," was her only answer.

"Ooh, so it didn't go well?"

"Aizawa wants to discuss the results after we eat. I'll talk more then." The cryptic response paired with the melancholic aura Kairi was giving off caused Uraraka to frown, but she didn't push the matter. The other students exchanged stories or laughter and frustration at lunch, all glad for a warm cooked meal. Only Izuku and Kairi were quiet, as Aoyama melodramatically explained how awful it was to be in the woods. Enough that Bakugo finally decided to take his food into his room.

"Hey, where's Todoroki?" Momo asked of Kairi. "He was in your group, right?"

"Todoroki was injured in the exercise and had to be lifted to the hospital." A smattering of surprise halted the dinner conversation. A barrage of questions followed, begging Izuku and Kairi for more details. She fell silent and Izuku asked them to be quiet before Aizawa slammed a fist on the table that hushed them instantly. With the promise he would give more details when they finished eating, they hurried and gathering in the common area of the cabin. Aizawa cleared his throat and looked sternly across the crowd.

"Only a few of your found the Teddy you were meant to rescue," he began. "Izuku, Hoshino, and Todoroki did. These teddies were in hard to reach places with the intent of teaching you sometimes you have to go through difficult terrain and face challenges to rescue your victim. Theirs turned out to be more dangerous than we originally intended." He continued while Kairi zoned out. Aizawa droned on, flipping on the flat screen in front of them and hooking a few cables to some images on his handheld devices. He moved through the pictures, captures from the footage they had taken to show the cave. They marveled at the waterfall, and were impressed by its beauty, but Aizawa pointed out the placement of where the sharp rocks that held Shoto captive. Half the crowd gasped as he explained, and then he flipped to show images of Izuku and Kairi leaning over him. Kairi ripping open his shirt and performing CPR.

"Whoa, you ripped open his shirt and were going to kiss him?!" Mineta shouted suddenly. Tsu flicked her tongue wildly two seats over and slapped him across the face.

"That's not what was going on, Mineta!" Aizawa shouted. "Another comment like that and you will receive extra exercises for the rest of the trip!"

"Midoriya and Hoshino displayed what it truly means to be a hero today. In the future, we do intend to search for areas that are still challenging but aren't this dangerous. However, I think it was made clear today that despite how some of you may still feel..." His eyes wandered over to Bakugo. "These are people you want on your side. They showed exemplary work in not just survival skills but rescue skills. As for Todoroki, thanks to them, he is going to be just fine. I just got off the phone and he will be in the hospital for a few days but he will be fine. His foot is mangled and needed some work, he has two ribs broken. He's in a lot of pain, but will make a full recovery." The class was awash with impressed whispers, but Kairi didn't hear any of them. Her mind was away, really wondering if Shoto was okay, if he was mad at her for how she acted, if he would never speak to her again. She dropped within herself, convincing herself of all of these. It always ended up that way. People always ended up blaming her. It always came back to her and she always led to destruction. Quietly sobbing, Kairi pulled herself away from the congratulatory crowd and ran up into her cabin. How could someone be a rescuer when they created the situation to be rescued from in the first place?

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**If you're wondering what the paramedic was doing holding her hand over Todoroki's mouth - she has a respirating quirk in her palm. She was giving him air. I realize now after reading it through that probably wasn't clear but seeing strange stuff like this is ordinary and not so strange, so I didn't have any POV comment from Kairi. **


	22. Pushing Through Doors

It had taken forever for the week to end, and Kairi was itching to see Shoto. The cabin was meant to be fun but it was hard with her mind so tied in guilt. She kept herself away and slept a lot to keep her emotions from everyone else so they could have a good time. When she finally did arrive at the school, it seemed they already knew – the staff at the cabin must have leaked it. Reporters were there, snapping pictures. The class of 2-A had been in the news a lot the previous year, but it had grown to die down some. This new story however, had prompted the return of the hungry press for the gifted class. Who was this new student? Where did she come from? What was her quirk? Did her quirk aid her in saving the Todoroki boy? And of course there was Midoriya whom they all knew and already loved. Lights snapped and anxiety rose in Kairi. She covered her face and ran from the throng, hurrying in the direction of the dorm. Panting, she flew through the door and hurried up to her room, where she decided to hide away from the world for a while.

Eventually they left, and the day wore on. Night fell, the sun rose, and parents came to collect their children for the summer. Kairi only packed one suitcase of things she would want, knowing she would be back in six weeks and her father met her with the biggest sweeping hug he had ever given, almost crushing her small body. She giggled at his warmth, glad to be with her father after such a stressful week.

"Riri!" he laughed loudly. "Honey, I am so proud of you! Terrified of course, that poor boy and what if that had been you? But you really are a hero! I am so proud of you for wanting to become one. I was concerned at first but..." he brushed at her hair and finally released her. "I always knew you were amazing but you are turning out to be far greater than I ever imagined." Kairi laughed, delighted by the affection he was giving her. When her father came around, things felt almost okay. Usually.

"Thanks, Dad."

"My girl, I love you so much. And that was Endeavor's son?"

"Yes."

"Wow... my girl saved the son of the number one hero! This is news I can't wait to brag to the precinct about!" he chortled, taking her blocky suitcase from her and tossing it into the open backseat of his car. Tsu waved to Kairi from the other side of the lot. "Those your friends? Do you want to say goodbye to them?" She nodded and he released her for the moment. She walked on over to Tsu who immediately pulled her into a hug.

"I guess we'll see each other at the beach!" she said. "We'll be safer with you around!"

"I'm not going to play lifeguard duty if that's what you're after," Kairi teased.

"Oh, not just the beach!" Momo interjected, lugging two suitcases behind her. Her labored breathing and slow movement seemed to indicate they were rather heavy. "We need to hang out more than that! There's the amusement park and ooh, we have to go shopping! Your taste in clothes is so cute, Kairi. I-"

"We can talk more about it later," Tsu interrupted as her eyes bugged watching Momo drag her bags to a limo. The man who held the door open for her reached down and picked up her suitcases.

"Thank you. There's eight more if you would be interested..." The man nodded and followed Momo back through the entrance arch of the dorms. Tsu snickered, raising one of her wide hands to cover her mouth.

"Well anyway, it would be fun to hang out over the summer if you'd like, _ribbit_!"

"I would like that," Kairi smiled, but kept looking over her shoulder to where her dad was waiting.

"You're in a rush to see Todoroki, aren't you?" Tsu guessed. "I suppose that makes sense. You and Midoriya watched him almost... well, he didn't."

"Yeah... I do want to get going but I want to find Izuku first," Tsu nodded and gestured with her finger to the green haired boy pulling a large suitcase behind him as he retreated from the building. Kairi gave her a thumbs up and ran towards him, waving goodbye to Tsu as she did.

"Izuku!" she called. He smiled as she ran towards him.

"Hey, Kairi. All set for the summer?"

"Yeah..." she panted, slowing. "I just wanted to say thanks for... everything, you know. It's been hard at times and... especially this weekend. You didn't give up on me even though I was a mess and you really, I don't know. Helped. I feel like I... might be starting to get a hang of this and I think a huge part of that is because of you."

"Really?" Izuku said, cheeks churning with scarlet. "Aw that's... thanks, Kairi!"

"Anyway, I just..." Her arms completed the words her mouth couldn't and she pulled him in for a quick hug. "Thanks."

"Aren't you supposed to be heading somewhere?" came a rather sharp voice. Kairi raised her head and saw Uraraka standing beside Izuku, her eyes darkened with irritation. Kairi pulled away quickly, understanding immediately and blushed sheepishly.

"Yeah, I... I'll see you all soon! Have a good summer!" Kairi ripped away from them before she could see if Uraraka would become more jealous and met with her father again. Another car pulled up, door opening to reveal a woman with hair the same color as Izuku's and eyes that were exactly like his. She jumped out of the car and ran faster than Kairi had ever seen anyway run, possibly even Iida. The squat woman pulled Izuku into a hug and covered him embarrassingly with kisses. Kairi giggled, happy to see he had such a loving mother and then jumped into the front seat of her father's own car. Mr. Hoshino backed out of the drive and Kairi hung out of her open window to wave to friends still leaving the building. Mr. Hoshino obliged her by leaning on the horn button on his steering wheel, directing their attention to Kairi. Several of class 2-A shouted and waved at her, joyful and excited. Kairi laughed and sat back against her seat once they were on the road.

"You seem like you have really made some friends in this class," Mr. Hoshino observed proudly. "Principal Nezu was right – this change has been very good for you."

"I think they have really helped me, Dad. They've boosted my esteem and I'm learning to not be afraid of my emotions. That its not all bad and that... I do have the strength to be a hero. Maybe not the same as All Might but... a rescuer." She breathed the word again, finding its majesty and awe. She could save people, in her own way. Defeating baddies may not be what she was cut out for but she could dodge, she could jump, she could move quickly. She could get to people quickly and maybe if she learned to use her emotions, she could use that too. If she learned how to make it so they didn't cause issues in the first place.

"I am so excited to hear that!" His rough hands reached over and curled around her fingers, squeezing them. "I can feel it too; you really care for them and love this class."

"Yes!" she smiled. "How are things with you? How's Daisuke? Did Rena have her baby?"

"Yes she did! Showed us all pictures too, little cutie. He was born with suckers on his hands and feet!"

"She's going to have her hands full with that!"

"Things are becoming a little busy too. We're researching this case. Early stages right now, but there might be a money laundering chain in the city. By some big companies too."

"Geez, didn't you just finish a big case?"

"Yeah, but since All Might's retirement, crime has gone up. I mean, there's many other great heroes out there but none of them are the symbol of peace All Might was."

"_Is_," Kairi corrected. Mr. Hoshino nodded.

"Right. I forgot, he's still your teacher."

"He's still the same All Might, he just can't fight villains anymore."

"Anyway, Endeavor doesn't exactly inspire hope in others the same way," Mr. Hoshino frowned. "He's a hero and he's a valuable asset and I'm glad we have him. But Endeavor really is not the same as All Might. Angrier, more aggressive. I hope his son isn't the same way. I'm not sure I would want you around someone like that, even if he is your friend. No friends are better than bad friends."

"He's not," Kairi said, and then gnawed at her lip. She folded her hands and rolled her thumbs nervously. "Hey, Dad? I know I just got back and you're looking forward to spend some time with me before you head in tonight but... I was wondering if I could spend some time at the hospital?"

"To see your friend?"

"Yes." Mr. Hoshino nodded.

"I understand. You're concerned. That's all right. We can spend some time together tomorrow after I wake up. Bring your suitcase into your room?"

"Yes, I will take care of it later." Mr. Hoshino switched on the turn signal, slowing to a stoplight.

"You can find your own way home?"

"Yes I can take the bus." Her stomach restricted, thinking about the crowds. Mr. Hoshino took a second to look over her way, before looking back up at the green light before him.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" he asked calmly.

"It's fine, I've done it before," she said, dismissing his concern. "Just a small moment of discomfort. I can fix my own supper, so no need to worry about saving me something. We can have brunch or something tomorrow! I'll even cook!" Mr. Hoshino leaned over and pressed a kiss to Kairi's head. The light changed and he moved one hand over the other.

"I am the luckiest father to have you for a daughter."

Kairi beamed.

The light stung her ears and the chatter from the ceiling was dull and long. Her skin burned being inside. It hurt, the memories clamoring back to remind her of when her father was shot. She hadn't been in a hospital since that time and hoped she wouldn't be back but if she was going to be a hero, she was immediately relinquishing that hope. "Time to get past those memories, Riri," she whispered to herself. The starchy air still bit at her and tried to reconjure memories, but she pushed them away. She refused to allow it. That would not happen. The last time she was in a hospital, she was certain it would end in tragedy. This time was based on a simple visit, already knowing Shoto was okay. Kairi felt the sides of her jeans, noting she didn't have anything. There was a wallet though, ready to fall out of backside pocket. Kairi removed it and rifled through its contents. It wasn't a lot, but she could probably stop in the gift shop. You brought gifts to friends in the hospital, right? She was pretty sure that's what you did.

The gift shop was near the entry and she perused the items, looking for something appropriate. Shoto was proving to be a good friend but she still didn't feel she knew him yet. Also there were really no cards that read "Sorry I almost killed you." Instead, she decided on the most basic of options, skipping past a teddy bear as she thought it might be insensitive. A silver balloon that read "Get Well Soon!" in a fun font and card with a broken bandaged cookie that read "You're one tough cookie!" It was cheesy but she hoped he would appreciate the gesture. Nothing really jumped out screaming his name so she simply chose something that made her smile and passed over the yen to the woman at the counter.

"Aren't you that girl from UA? The one who saved Endeavor's son?" she asked, catching a glimpse of her familiar blue stripe in her dark hair.

"Yes... that's me!" Kairi said with more enthusiasm than she felt.

"You are a real hero, you know that! Oh, you must be here to visit him!"

"Yeah..." she stated plainly. Her nerves were crawling again, ready to make a dash for it. She thank the woman and turned back towards the nurse's desk. The man at the desk quickly followed her request and directed her to where she was to go. Kairi nodded and followed the somewhat complicated instructions he had given her. After only two wrong turns and then noticing the maternity ward was definitely not where he would be, Kairi turned back around and found herself on the right floor. She pushed through another pair of wide doors and tried not to look at a man who looked like a younger version of her father as he was pushed on a hospital bed. The lights ached and Kairi felt dizzy. Her gut tightened and she pleaded for it to calm down. This was inconvenient. She hated hospitals. She could taste the bitter smell and her skin felt sick. Mentally, she chastised herself. _Get used to it, Hero_.

Kairi turned and counted the rooms as she passed them. She paused in front of the right number, hearing soft talking between what was clearly Shoto and a woman in the room. There was slight laughter from the woman and Kairi hung against the wall. Was this a mistake? Should she even be here? Perhaps she should wait come back.

"Is someone there?" she heard Shoto asked. Her chest flew to her throat, strangling her. Running away now and pretending she never was would cause her more grief. Kairi clutched the string of the balloon tightly and pressed the card against her chest. She forced herself to steady her breath, counting items she could see. She wanted to do this. She could go into a hospital room and see her friend. Even if she hurt – no. She saved him, she reminded herself. He still had his life because of her, not in spite. Rescuer, she told herself. He wasn't lying on a hospital bed with ribs broken because she broke them. He was in a hospital and not a grave because of her. _You're a hero_, she thought. _You're a rescuer._

"Yes..." her voice squeaked and she raised her hand to softly knock.

"Come on in, then," Shoto replied. Kairi breathed and pushed aside the door, stepping into the room. She plastered on a forced grin and winced at the brightness that flooded from the window and illuminated the white room.

"Hello, Shoto."


	23. Sins of the Father

**CW: This chapter contains discussion of sexual assault. Nothing is graphic and is written in a way to make it more implied rather than said outright. However, if this is something that you think might still bother you, please skip this chapter and read the end note.**

* * *

There was a woman sitting on the edge of Shoto's bed. She was middle-aged and absolutely gorgeous. Her eyes were grey, just like Shoto's one eye on his right side. Also like Shoto's right side, her hair was a luminescent white. There was no doubt this was Shoto's mother. Shock dropped Kairi's stomach, happiness that he had a mother to connect with raised it again, and then embarrassment warbled it all over the place.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." she said, seeming embarrassed herself. "I didn't know he had someone coming to visit today."

"No, no! I should have had the nurses alert you!" Kairi immediately protested, waving the balloon wildly. "I, Um..." She found a table to place the balloon's weight and the card before dipping her head respectfully. "I'm sorry. I'm Kairi Hoshino. I'm Shoto's classmate."

"...Hoshino?" said Mrs. Todoroki and her eyes grew. Tears formed on the edges of her eyes and she rose. Slowly, she moved from the bed and approached closer. Kairi retreated a step, still bowing low as she waited for some kind of chastisement. She inhaled deeply, her chest tightening. None of that came. Instead, the woman reached forward and pulled her for a hug, squeezing tightly. "My boy! You saved my boy!"

"Mrs. Todoroki?" Kairi said as her face was pressed just under her chin. She took in the smell, a sweet natural perfume. The harder she hugged, the quicker Kairi's anxieties melted away. She was warm and comforting. Her tears fell onto her neck, but they were welcome, touching. Mrs. Todoroki quivered with her falling tears as she continued to cling to her.

"You saved my Shoto!" she said. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I don't know what I would have done...!" Mrs. Todoroki pulled away and wiped at her eyes. She looked between her son and the girl who saved him, smiling wide. "I'll let you two talk. I'll talk to you soon, Shoto."

"Okay, Mom," he said with a small grin. Mrs. Todoroki walked back to the bed and leaned over to awkwardly hug him, avoiding any area around his chest. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head and waved to Kairi before slipping out the door, shutting it behind her. Kairi swallowed, and looked over at the vase of flowers and several cards on a nearby table, searching for something to talk about.

"They're from my mom and siblings," Shoto answered.

"Siblings?" Kairi asked, still searching.

"I have two brothers and a sister."

"Oh," she replied, her mind screaming to break the awkwardness in the room. Her eyes fell back to her card and balloon. "Oh, right I have..." Kairi ran over to him and placed them in his hands. He grinned at the balloon and smirked at the cookie card. "There was a teddy bear but I thought..."

"What a perfect opportunity wasted," he smirked.

"Oh, did you want? I can-"

"I'm joking, Kairi," he chuckled, and gestured to a wheeled stool. Kairi nodded and ran to retrieve it, placing it just in front of his bed and sitting in it. While stress still crushed her, he looked healthy. A small grin still sat in his expression and his eyes were inviting. He sat up stiffly in his bed, hospital gown covering what was likely a brace, and a bandaged foot stuck out from under the blanket covered his legs. Seeing how good he was looking warmed her, but also pulled forth a suddenness to grovel, to beg. Fear settled in about what sort of anger she was going to face, how he would feel about his situation. If he even still wanted to be her friend. She gave it a month, and it had been almost six weeks. That would be about par for the course for her.

"I'm sorry!" rang the words out of her as she hung her head low again. "I'm sorry, Shoto! I made you go into that cave, I am the reason you got stuck, I broke your ribs, I'm the reason you almost died, I was fixated on the bear, I wanted extra credit because I still feel like I am proving my-"

"Kairi, Kairi, stop!" he demanded lowly, waving his hand frantically. "No, that's... that's completely wrong. You never made me go into the cave first of all, what made you think that?"

"Because I mean, couldn't you feel it? How badly I wanted to? That I wanted to go after it? I kept asking about it."

"Yeah, but you've had stronger emotions I've resisted. We needed something to do for the next few hours, and we figured out the clue. Why not try to go in? It had nothing to do with you. I got stuck because that's the danger you face swimming through tight spaces. As for my ribs... I'm alive." He stated. "You're a hero all over. Not a single person thinks you did anything. Why are you even blaming yourself?"

"Because if I wasn't in your group this wouldn't have happened."

"How do you know that?" he challenged. "It might have. With anyone else, I might have died. Sure maybe Midoriya could have thought to give me CPR, but it was your reaction times that was saved me. At least, that's what All Might said. Have you seen the footage?"

"No, but I was afraid I would..."

"Could you hand me my phone?" Kairi swallowed and picked up the smartphone on a nearby table.

"Are we really supposed to...?"

"Nobody believes that." Shoto held out his hands in front of him, avoiding bending over as his fingers flew across the screen. He held his thumb to the phone and then turned it towards Kairi. A reporter was speaking, but she ignored the words. Her eyes welled as she watched the image of what she recognized to be a bedraggled and sopping wet form of herself practically whip Shoto from the river. She was already leaning over him and shaking when Izuku appeared seconds later. After shaking him, her hands were already ripping open the top of his hero costume and pressing violently into his chest, moving at the perfect rhythm.

"This is sped up," Kairi said,

"No," Shoto said. "Aizawa came in and showed the full footage to me. There were cameras in the cave too. Do you know how long it took from the time you found me to when you gave me chest compressions?"

"It... felt like forever to me."

"Two minutes, thirty-seven seconds." Kairi's heart spread wide. It felt like it had been a half hour.

"That's... got to be wrong."

"From the time the camera caught you jumping back under the water to when you had me on that bank. Only the best rescuers with plenty of training and practice can move that fast or faster." Kairi looked back at the image on the screen, watching as Shoto sat up and started breathing again before the recording of herself burst into tears.

"Okay so, I'm fast. That doesn't..."

"Yes, it _does_. Your emotions found us food, your emotions energized us in the fight, your emotions calmed us when we needed to be calm, your fear, your care, they spilled over into Midoriya-"

"He already had those things."

"Maybe, but extra doesn't hurt. It created an adrenaline in both of you and your desperation for me your live, it made you _act._ It's possible that there are moments when acting on your emotions isn't wise. But sometimes, it is. There are moments when the world could deal with a little overflow of compassion to reach out to those who need it, of fear so they don't do anything stupid, of rage when injustice occurs, of love when there are those who go without it." Kairi was frozen, unable to wrap her mind around his words. Everyone had been telling her the same thing since it happened, but it felt so different coming from him. He was the one who should have been upset and he wasn't. He was grateful. He was _proud_.

"That's what everyone else has been saying..." Kairi sniffled. "It still doesn't help. I can't get past that I hurt my friend."

"It will heal," he said dully, trying his best to shrug. "Recovery Girl's been in. I should be ready for the beach trip in a few weeks. Are you going?"

"I would like to..." she said.

"Good because I'm not sure I feel safe swimming unless you're there." Kairi giggled as he smirked. She looked back at the door, only just registering the clothes his mother had been in. Hospital issue scrubs, but not like the ones nurses and doctor's wore.

"Shoto, why was your mother wearing hospital clothes? Is she okay?" His smirk faded and he turned to view the window. The air thickened again and Kairi curled her fingers against each other, sensing she had asked the wrong question. But then.

"My mother is a permanent resident in the hospital. Has been since I was very young."

"Very young? Is your mother that sick?"

"Yes," he sighed, giving in. "My mother is... traumatized. By my father."

"She is..." Kairi leaned back as his words fell into her. The words of her father echoed back to her, about Endeavor seemed angry. Hands pressed against her mouth in horror as the puzzle slid into place. "Oh... Shoto... He... hurt... her?"

"Yes. Frequently. She also wasn't the only... one." Her heart gripped with aching pain and the information pulsed through her. Anger follow pain and sorrow, hate setting in. "Don't, Kairi. He's still a hero."

"Then he shouldn't be. Anyone who does that someone they claim to love... a fucking _hero_, even. He should want to protect his family the most!"

"I know."

"How the hell did someone like _that_ replace _All Might_?!"

"I don't know!" Shoto screamed, and immediately breathed in his regret. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell, I just..."

"Felt my anger..."

"Yeah. I am learning to dissociate the two but it still needs work..." he replied, calm again. "My father is who he is. He's good for the community, but he's not good for his family."

"What about your siblings? Are they safe?"

"They're... perfectly fine. It was only me and my mother. He didn't treat them right but it wasn't like... me. Their quirks aren't nearly as powerful as mine, and he wanted to toughen me so I could surpass All Might."

"I... Shit, Shoto I am..."

"I know."

"I feel terrible. Not just for the circumstances but I had it so easy in comparison. I mean it sucked and my mother was terrible but... never mind, this isn't about me."

"No, you're wrong," he said. "Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Don't compare experiences. If it damaged you, then it damaged you. It is still pain. It still affects you. Your mother should still have been there. She shouldn't have just gone off to England, and she shouldn't have ignored you. That's still abuse. One experience does not lessen the other experience. Your pain is still valid." Her chest filled with light and warmth, dancing with the sorrow she still felt for him. She knew Endeavor was probably a tough father, but this was beyond what she had ever imagined. "I hated him for so long. I still do. I didn't use my left side because I didn't want to satisfy him to reach my full power. My mother was hand-picked for her quirk. I was bred for the purpose of being more powerful than All Might. I refused to give him that satisfaction so I didn't want to use the side that reminded me of him, reminded my mother of him. Midoriya changed that."

"'It's your quirk. No one else can tell you who you are,'" Kairi repeated, sense coming to the words.

"Exactly. I don't want to be my father, and he made sure I knew using my left side doesn't make me my father."

"You're not him," Kairi said quickly, placing a hand on top of his and gripping it tightly. "You could never be him. You're kind, you don't push people, you're patient, you want to help people, you are there for those who are close to you." _You're kind of wonderful_._.. Holy shit, where did that come from_? He half smiled his thanks, acting unaware of her hand on his.

"And you could never be a villain. Especially not after last week. There's no way my mind is changing on that now.

"Hold on, you... you said he _chose_ your mother for her powerful quirk? You were bred? Like not in the usual parents plan to have a child but like there was... no... affection?" The words were painful for her to say and burned her throat. Shoto dropped her head and looked in his lap.

"Nothing's been confirmed. And my mother hates him, and is traumatized. So much so, my left side reminds her of him and she... poured boiling water on my face and that's how..." Her eyes fell to the mark on around his left side. She had long thought it had been a birthmark but, looking closer, it matched the scarring on her elbow, except his had faded a little with time. Her body was so heavy, grief pulling her down. Forces grabbed her, urging her to hug him, to take him in her arms and never let go.

"I am... so... sorry. Shoto I... I don't even."

"Thanks. It's okay. I have a business arrangement with my father, nothing more."

"My father's a detective, and he already doesn't seem too fond of Endeavor's anger!" Kairi spoke quickly, jumping up out of her seat. "If you testify against him, tell him what you tell me, my father wouldn't stand for it! He's a good cop, a great one! He can mind read too, it's how he breaks cases so fast! He can only do it in certain instances because of ethical reasons but-"

"No, Kairi!" His voice was firm, nearing anger which made Kairi immediately plop back down in her seat. "I believe your father is a great man but... I can't make my mother relive that. She's been through so much and it would only hurt her more. My father got what he wanted, so he's not a danger to anyone else, and he's a hero. The community would protect him. Your father might be someone who would believe you, me, her, but can you really say that every single cop, every judge, every lawyer would be the same?" Kairi dropped, knowing the reality of the world.

"No. My father says cases of that nature are tricky. He could just mind read and convict everyone but it's a very sensitive nature and such thoughts, the precinct wants him to be incredibly careful with because it's so touchy."

"Exactly what I mean. I appreciate it but please drop it." She squeaked her foot and pensively stared at the wheeling cart that was set just off to the side.

"I shouldn't have even pried, really. That's all... heavy topics and if I said anything that stirred anything up or triggered something."

"It's fine," he said. "I'm past the point where it really affects me. Part of me wanted you to know." Her body snapped with surprise.

"Why?"

"Because maybe you would feel better knowing someone has a similar story to you." He turned, his different eyes catching her own and there was a ping that seemed to run through her. _Maybe you would feel better..._ She colored again and looked away with a smile.

"Then... maybe I should tell you my own story sometime..."

"Only if you want." He smiled again. "It's your choice." A knock at the door startled them and they looked up to see a nurse standing at the door. She was young and very sweet looking.

"I apologize, but visiting hours are over for the day," she said.

"Oh! Right," said Kairi, rising from her stool. "Feel better Shoto. Maybe I'll come visit again. I can bring cards or something."

"That would be nice," he said.

"See you then." She nodded her goodbye and walked past the nurse. The door closed behind her and Kairi began to head back towards the direction she came from, but Mrs. Todoroki stepped out from around a corner, causing her heart to leapt for a moment.

"I'm sorry," she apologized kindly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, I'm sorry, Mrs. Todoroki," Kairi whispered formally. She flinched at the name.

"Please call me Rei."

"Were you... listening?" Her heart thumped.

"No, but I waited. I wanted to speak with you just for a second and properly thank you when I am not a blubbering mess."

"Oh, no you thanked me enough."

"My son means the world to me. I'm sure that isn't such a surprise considering he is my son but our lives haven't always been easy and our relationship is only just beginning to build again. You gave a chance to keep doing that and I will never be able to properly express my thanks."

"You're welcome... I don't know what to say, I was simply... reacting on emotion." _Huh_. "I couldn't let anything happen to him he's... my friend. I didn't really have any of those til recently and he's among the first."

"He told me about you," she said through an admiring smile. "About your quirk and how it works. About how powerful it is. How it played a part in the exercise, how it saved him. But he shared more than that. I hope you're not upset that he told me about... your mother." Her back rolled with discomfort. "He doesn't always show a lot, my son. But he let a lot of it out when I talked to him the last few days. It upset him, the way she treated you. He went on for several minutes about how he couldn't understand how she could do that. I suppose he has a lot of anger pent up in him still. He said you're... spunky, I think."

"Spunky? That's a new one. More like nervous and fidgety."

"And he kept going on about how quickly you just seemed to move when there was a need for something, when someone was in need. He's impressed by how smart you are too."

"I just do my schoolwork, Mrs. Todo- Rei."

"I just wanted you to know that I am grateful, again, and that Shoto... he thinks highly of you. He talks of you almost as much as that Midoriya kid. He thinks you're a great friend and you make him laugh." Rei turned away with a final wave and headed down the dark hall. Kairi stared at the empty hall, watching as a doctor suddenly ran past her. Gaping, her eyes were lost in the stretching fluorescent lights. Her heart bloomed.

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**TL;DR: Kairi meets Shoto's mother who then leaves the room for her and Shoto to talk. They discuss the incident a bit, Shoto further reiterates how she did the right thing and is a hero, and then Kairi learns Rei is in the hospital because of how Endeavor treated her. Kairi leaves but runs into Rei again who is very thankful.**

**Soooo I realize there is some debate as to what Endeavor actually did. Perhaps you don't believe this but the story Todoroki gave made it seem very much as if Rei was forced into marrying him - and therefore since Endeavor wanted the perfect child to surpass All Might, I inferred that other stuff that followed was also against her will. Of course, it isn;t actually said for sure that's what happen but at least to me that's what it STRONGLY sounds like happened. Soooo that's the story I am following and I am sorry if it goes against what you believe about Endeavor. But the fact remains he is still kinda a bad father and husband? So yes this was something of a tough chapter to write but I did enjoy the relationship development.**


	24. Breathing Again

**My GOODNESS I went to edit this chapter and I must have been exhausted when I wrote it or something because it was RIDDLED with errors - so it is completely possible you may find more. I went over it but sometimes you miss stuff, so if this chapter has less quality (not that it's amazing or anything but eh, worse than usual is what I mean) I apologize!**

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It took another eight days before the calls to speak to Kairi finally stopped for good and the news footage finally stopped playing. The account of the story had already been shared many times, and there was no more to tell of it. However, there were still those who were convinced there was more to the tale. Aizawa and All Might had sworn they hadn't uttered a word about the story getting out, and knowing how much Aizawa hated the press, Kairi believed them. It was likely due to someone on staff at the training grounds, or maybe someone at the hospital had figured it out and blabbed. Even so, All Might had reminded her they could have kept it the most tight-lipped and it would have still wriggled its way out. They were class 2-A, their celebrity status still having carried over from the previous year, even though the current year had been far less eventful. And, he was a Todoroki, Endeavor's son. Some kind of fame was never going to leave him and someone was likely to find out.

Occasionally, Mr. Hoshino would answer his phone and in seconds, Kairi would figure out it was someone else looking to talk to her. He would remind them he was a detective and could investigate how they even got his number, tell them his daughter didn't wish to speak to anyone about the incident, everything there was to know was already out in the press, and it wouldn't be hard for him to twist his account of the phone call to sound like some older creep was looking to speak to his minor daughter. They usually hung up pretty quickly, leaving Kairi to giggle to herself. It was perhaps a little dishonest and rude, but she loved how he was so aware of how all the attention was getting to her.

It hadn't stopped the emails that would come through, and she stopped checking it for a bit, but it was hard to avoid on social media. There wasn't many accounts she had, but there were a couple where she enjoyed checking the latest news on shows, movies, actors she liked, and enjoyed following media content creators. That is, that was the original purpose of her social media accounts until she had found a few friends in school. It was interesting how easy it was to quickly learn things about friends through the power of social media; and how many followers the class of 2-A had, especially a few of them. In the days that followed what was called the Todoroki Survival Rescue, the power of internet found Kairi's otherwise unimpressive pages and she got hundreds of followers a day. Since there was nothing too special on her pages, some didn't quite stick around too long and others would leave her a comment but not follow. "The internet is a nasty place, don't look at the comments," Her dad had said. For the most part, she hadn't. But it was hard to avoid when suddenly she was being tagged, receiving messages, and a flood of comments were thrown on her stuff. There were many that praised her for what she did, and some that were impressed with how fast she moved, which helped boost her. Others still were nasty, commenting on how she wasn't special, how it wasn't that fast, how they could have done better. Thankfully, much rarer were the ones that were of a more sexually harassing nature and made Kairi want to hide. There were few Shoto admirers who commented on how lucky she was, how jealous they were, and how she had just looked for a reason to rip open his shirt. Kairi quickly grew from pissed to irritated to just bored and tired of everything that had come through. Despite it all, the worst ones were from those who were hateful towards Shoto, claiming he was faking for her attention or that he was weak. Those were the ones she could never get past.

Her dad helped her to mute them so she could stay away, but eventually time faded them and she could safely look through her stuff for the most part. She had been to see Shoto again, whom she talked to about everything. He had told her that he had received attention much the same during everything that happened last year, and there got to a point where he had learned how to simply ignore some of the comments. He helped in reminding her that class 2-A was still famous and got attention, and since she was a part of it she may get more attention. It encouraged her to set all her profiles private, allowing her so only her friends would see her stuff. As the internet is, she still saw the occasional comment on another page, but even that quickly vanished as the news cycle chose different stories.

"Holy crap, Aoyama, do you take a selfie every five minutes?" Kairi whispered, clicking through some of his pictures after he recently sent her a request that she accepted. Thousands of followers, hundreds of comments... of course he would leave his account public. Shaking her head with a smile, she declined a friend request from Mineta, and then commented on an adorable picture Tsu posted of her with her parents. Her phone buzzed, and she withdrew quickly from the sensation of the sound. Flipping through, she jumped again at seeing it was Shoto who sent it.

_I'm out. Just released this morning._ – Shoto

_Oh good! Then you will be able to make it to the beach house next weekend?_ – Kairi

_That's the plan, at least. I'm not sure I will be swimming though. Might be a little painful still, but I can still go. -S_

_That's okay, I can hang back with you. If you want company, that is. -K_

_No, that's fine. You should swim with everyone else. -S_

_ I don't mind! I really don't. I don't even own a swimsuit. -K_

A passing moment.

_You don't own a swimsuit? _

_ No? Is that a surprise?_

_ I guess I just was accustomed to girls owning at least a couple._

_ Sorry to not live up to your stereotype._

_ I'm sorry._

_ I was kidding, Shoto! (laughing emoji)_

_ Oh. I didn't catch that._

_ I agreed to go shopping with the girls for outfits for the trip... or at least... Momo wanted to go shopping. I'm not sure Uraraka and Tsu care too much but just wanted a day out. If I mention the no-swimsuit thing, they might try to get me to buy one. I might just cancel all together to be honest._

_ You should go._

Her chest somersaulted. What a ridiculous notion. Why would he suggest that?

_School is one thing but, I don't know... I guess I just... I haven't quite hung out with people outside of school? I mean I visited you in the hospital but I don't really count that. In theory, it sounds like a good idea but I guess... I'm just... nervous? It seems a bit... I don't know how to explain it. _ Kairi's core built as she typed, tension growing as she pictured herself having fun with friends. It was exciting, but terrifying. She wanted to do like other people did with friends, but it wasn't exactly something she knew how to do. How did people react? What if she did it wrong? What if she didn't know how to act.

_Careful, you're going to start sounding like Midoriya_. She giggled.

_I've just never gone shopping with some girls before._

_ Can't say that I have either (winking emoji.) _A smile. _I'm sure it will fall together naturally. You don't have to buy anything either. Maybe some food. But apart from that, just hanging out with them will probably be fine. If it doesn't go well, you won't have to do it again._

_ You make it sound so easy._

_ It doesn't start out easy, but you will regret not at least trying. _Kairi set the phone down, unable to find a reply and then _Did the internet messages stop?_

_Yeah, setting things to private helped and by now I think a lot of people have forgotten. People will really turn something innocuous into the hugest deal, won't they?_

_ That's the internet. You should go a search on my name sometime._ Kairi smirked and her fingers immediately began flying across the keyboard. _That was a joke. Do not actually look up my name!_

_Too late!_

_ Click off anything you're looking at._

_ ... You have quite the fanbase there, Shoto. At least you know when you decide to get married, you have plenty of ladies and gents who are more than willing to throw themselves at your feet._

_ Yeah. I know._

_ ... Oh dear, some of these tweets are... something. Oh my god, people need to learn how to get a drink of water!_

_ And that's why you never search yourself._ Kairi immediately exited out of the traumatizing window she had been on, thankful Shoto wasn't able to see the bright red that had flagged her face. Her phone beeped again, but it was Momo this time.

_Hey! We're out front!_

Kairi groaned and spun around in her chair, dreading the length she would need to take to get to the door. She peeled herself away and trudged herself to pick up her ivory purse. The slosh and clang from the kitchen informed her her father was currently cleaning up the dishes from their lunch and she called to him she would be out with friends. After a moment of ecstatic expression, sudsy hands enveloped her before releasing her out the door. Kairi rubbed at the wet patches he left on her back before her voice was ripped from her, a strained gasp leaving.

"Let's go shopping!" Momo happily greeted in a sing song tone, as she flitted in front of the limo that had pulled into Kairi's drive.

"I thought we were taking a rideshare or... something," Kairi said.

"No! My driver will take us around today! Come on!" Momo slipped into the door the formally dressed man held open for her and motioned to Kairi to follow. Mouth still fallen open, she took the smallest of steps til she eventually slid in after Momo. Kairi slipped out her phone and began to pound away at the screen.

_Momo turned up in a fucking limo._

_ That doesn't surprise me. So you did decide to go?_

_ At this point, I don't think I have a choice. I never asked – how are you doing? How are your ribs?_

_ They're sore. I can't do any intense training for a few weeks yet, and the doctors said I probably shouldn't use my quirk until school starts again. My chest hurts a little but as long as I practice some breathing exercises and cough a lot to prevent any buildup, I should be ready for the beginning of school. My father is upset of course._

_ Why is he upset?_ Uraraka and Tsu greeted her excitedly, and she couldn't help but smile at seeing their enthusiasm. Momo gave the order for her driver to move as the limo pulled from the drive.

_Because I'm unable to train and therefore grow in my strength as a hero._

_ Why should that matter at this point? He's surpassed All Might and is number one. Wasn't his goal for you to surpass him? He's already done that without you having needed to do it._

_ He doesn't find any honor in surpassing All Might just because he was forced to retire._

_ Ah. _Kairi bit her lip, thinking as her mind dawned with realization. _Not that I care because the attention got to be too much but I thought your father at least would have thanked me. He never did._

_ Yeah. He's a little disappointed that I was almost taken out "by something so generic as drowning." And he's upset that you broke my ribs and hindered my ability to train and grow stronger._

_ My god, ribs heal! What was I supposed to do, just lightly bat at your chest at hope for the best?_

_ Exactly. Ribs heal. You're getting it now._ Kairi's face flushed again ad she pushed down the emotion that was spiraling in her.

_Guess I walked into that one._

_ Suffice it to say, he's not a fan of you. I told him he had a funny way of expressing gratitude for the person who saved his son, then asked him to leave my hospital room._

_ Am I allowed to say your dad's a dick? Is that disrespectful?_

_ It's not disrespectful to me. _

"Hoshino, stop staring at your phone!" Momo said. "What's so interesting on there, anyway?"

"Shoto is out of the hospital!" Kairi replied with a bright grin.

"Oh, so he can make it to the beach house then!" exclaimed Momo, as she clasped her hands. "This is so exciting!"

"He should be fully healed for school by then," said Tsu.

"He said he can't swim though," Kairi stated. "Doctor's orders."

"Oh, that's sad... that's okay, we'll be doing more than swimming!" Uraraka said, then her face fell with terrified darkness. Eyes stretched and her skin paled. "Oh no! I'm going to be seen in a swimsuit in front of De...everyone!" The other three girls stared at her knowingly, Momo holding a hand over her mouth even. Kairi sighed and plopped her chin over her hand.

"Come on, that's a good thing!" Momo laughed as the car moved over a bump, jostling them around a little. A mischievous twinkle shone in her eyes while she pressed a thoughtful finger to her thumb. Her cheeks swirled with rouge. "Just think how many attractive men will be there, shirtless!"

"You sound like you've been around Ashido and Hagakure too much," Tsu teased, her tongue flopping out of her mouth slightly.

"Maybe a dash of Mineta," Uraraka snickered.

"Aw come on, like you weren't thinking the same thing!" Momo defended loudly as the other three girls chorused in laughter together. Kairi took one last look at her phone and tucked it away in her purse, choosing instead to engage with her friends and take her eyes off the digital world.

No source of media had ever prepared her for how exhausting shopping could be, and she was incredibly thankful they had chosen to eat first. Kairi didn't talk much, but listened a lot and the laughter she naturally supplied helped to keep her engaged. Once they had their fill, Momo had her driver stop at several stores, many of which were higher end and only she was able to afford anything inside. While Uraraka and Kairi were much too embarrassed to make any mention of the fact, Tsu did speak up. Feeling a bit ashamed and sorry, Momo asked her driver to bring them to some more reasonably priced stores and the others were able to relax. Momo even found a few items she liked.

"Ooh, what do you think of this!" she asked, finding a pair of large budget sunglasses and a fashionable wide brimmed hat.

"The hat looks good!" Kairi said.

"Yeah, but the glasses..." Uraraka slowly began.

"You look like a bug," said Tsu. Momo quickly threw off the sunglasses and nested them back on their display.

"It's a good thing you've already eaten, then," Momo said. A large laugh echoed from Kairi and her hands flew to cover her mouth immediately. Uraraka and Tsu stared at Momo for a moment before finding their own laughs at her small joke. Momo placed the hat back and the group walked towards the young ladies section of the department stores. Uraraka immediately ran towards the end of the row where a large selection of various swimsuits were on display. She picked a simple pale pink bikini with ties and a pattern of tiny black polka dots. Cooing over it, she held it close as she went on the hunt for something else she may be interested in.

"Are you going to look for a new suit, Hoshino?" Tsu asked, as she weighed the decision of a more modest bikini and a flashy one-piece.

"No," Kairi responded. "I don't really need one. And it's not like I'm going to wear a new suit every day like Momo over here." She gestured with her thumb.

"You never know what you'll feel like that day!" Momo defended. "Maybe one day all I'll want to do is just swim. Maybe one day I'll feel flirty. Maybe another I'll be competitive!"

"It's fine. I don't intend to swim much anyways," Kairi said.

"You have to swim with us!" Uraraka begged, clutching the original bikini she first found. "Todoroki already has to sit out!"

"Which is why I'm not swimming," Kairi shrugged. "I don't want him to have to sit on the beach by himself. Besides, I am the one who broke his ribs, I at least feel that I owe him that."

"But you didn't have a choice," Tsu reminded. Kairi shook her head, having already heard the same argument a million times. She held up a hand.

"I know, but I still feel bad."

"Come on. At least swim with us a little bit," Momo pleaded. Kairi tightened, awkward and on the spot. She looked over the desperate faces and guilt flipped in her. She swallowed and hung her head with defeat.

"Okay. A little bit, but I want to make sure Shoto isn't alone all the time..." she gave in. Her center dropped as her eyes bugged at the variety of choices before her, many of them far skimpier than she would normally dare to even consider wearing. Kairi swallowed and flooded with scarlet as her voice shrunk. "Uhh, the thing is I only said I didn't need one because I didn't think I would be swimming... Except I don't actually own one..." As if she uttered the magic words, they went to work, seeking out something that fit with the style she represented outside of her school uniform and based on the two new outfits she purchased that day. Without her having to lift a finger, they gathered several pieces for her and Kairi gulped as she considered how bare she was about to make herself. Even more shocking though, was the revelation in her mind of how uninfluenced they were by her staunch determination in her choice, and how easily she was won out by their pleas.

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**As always, reviews are always appreciated but you are certainly not required :)**


	25. Beach Week, Day 1

The moment Kairi had decided she felt excited and pumped for the week at the beach house, dread set in as she reconsidered every possible thing that could go wrong. Not only was this about to be the first setting she was out with friends for a long period of time, but the last time she was gone for more than a day, she had injured Shoto. A slap of her hand against her own head tried to force her to stop thinking of that. She had saved him, she had been told thousands of times at this point. Still, a cage continuously held her and then opened again before it inevitably shut once more. She paced along with her own back and forth mind. Her whirlwind died down, and then it stirred up again, indecisive.

"Honey, you're doing it again," Mr. Hoshino said from the kitchen table. He sipped at a ceramic cup of tea in front of an open laptop, turned away so she wouldn't catch a glimpse of the sensitive information on the portal he was using to conduct his work. Stiff again, she scrunched and then splayed her fingers several times, trying to shake off all the emotions that were at war with her. "Should I get you a mood ring so you can document how often you're shifting?"

"Dad!" she scoffed, glaring.

"Ooh, anger. Finally, a new emotion."

"Dad, _stop_! I hate it when you mock me like that!"

"I'm not mocking you!" he explained, though his tone came off harsher than possibly intended. He breathed in quickly, realizing how it sounded. "Sorry. Overspill. I didn't mean to be rude." He ran a hand through his hair. "I promise, you want to spend some time with your friends. I have never heard you so excited for something in your life, and you need to spend some time with them." She flexed her hands again, though the tenseness was loosening. He smiled, sensing the change. "It will be good for us. I can maybe think a little clearer and break this laundering case, you can finally get some much-needed relaxation and grow closer with your friends."

"Yeah..." she was finally giving again, moving back from the living area to the table in the dining area. A chair shuddered while she pulled it out to sit. "I mean, I really do want to go."

"I know you do. It's all you've talked about the last week." She drummed her fingers on the table for a moment, smiling to herself. Then, another shift happened. Her form gripped again and her feet burned with urgency. Her body sparked with anxious electricity and she flew back from the chair to where her suitcase lay on the living room floor. Kairi ripped open the bag and chucked a pair of shorts behind her. Mr. Hoshino scoffed and pushed his laptop closed before he squeaked his own chair and took heavy strides to where she was. He snatched the articles of clothing she tossed behind her and then chucked them back in before he pressed an authoritative hand onto the front of the case and slammed it down. Kairi jumped back. "You are going, Riri. You are going to have fun. And you are not going to have any regrets."

"What if someone else drowns?"

"There's a lot more people around. Not just your friends, but it's a popular attraction. There will be others. There are also lifeguards. It's not as dangerous as that cave was. And if I understood right, doesn't that one friend of yours have a frog quirk?"

"Tsu. Yes," Kairi responded.

"Yeah. If anyone is an expert in swimming, it would be her. I know the incident traumatized you and I can also tell you're still concerned about making an impression. But they didn't abandon you after the whole incident and you've been around them almost three months now? Look how many friends you have now, and they even thought to invite you on this trip," His eyes crinkled as he smiled and reached to place a hand on his daughter's face. "You've never had consistent friends this long, and they are a strong folk. They're good people, Riri. I promise you'll be fine. And if on the slightest chance you aren't, call me up. I am more than willing to come and get you." Her eyes welled warmly.

"You promise?"

"Promise." Arms pulled her in and a kiss pressed against the top of her head. Kairi pulled away and worked on closing her suitcase. A shuffle from the distance indicated the arrival of that blasted limo again. Mr. Hoshino personally wheeled her bag behind him as she stayed at a close distance. He balked at the sight of the long vehicle stretched in his drive and swayed in his step before he regained his wind. Finding his footing, Mr. Hoshino passed over the handle to the driver who was awaiting to take the bag. A final, assuring hug bade Kairi goodbye and she stepped into the vehicle to a melody of cheers and excitement.

It took about two hours to reach their destination. The beach was located on an island that was separated between a private side and a public side. The public side was brimming with tourism and flooded with visitors as well as attractions, hotels, resorts, and various other activities. The private side was reserved for those who had timeshares and owned houses. There was a private beach that only the residents and their guests were allowed to use, but there was a lifeguard hired to be on duty. The beach house was located on the private side of the island, built further up into the island cliff for better resistance when typhoon season set in. The lush grass fenced in the house and created a wide berth between them and the neighbors, but the greenery and vibrant floral that surrounded the house was not what currently captured their gaze. Having already spotted the hazy arch of Mount Fuji in the distance, Kairi's suitcase clattered against the entry floor when she abandoned, tearing through to the other side of the house. A hand pressed against the handle and slid the door aside before she ran out onto the widespread deck and held herself against the railing. Two sailboats crossed each other in the center, wave divots jostling the cobalt waters. The wind carried the sound of the gleeful screams of children at play and still others laughing from those at the private beach. Centered between it all was the mount towering in the distance, a white shawl at its cap. A mingling of yellow and pink fell onto the horizon as the sun just started to grow tired.

"Wow," escaped from Kairi, her chin falling towards the banister she leaned against. At that sight, any doubt or reluctance evanesced from her, overtaken from the image she beheld. The boards whined as Momo appeared beside her, pride lifting her shoulders.

"As many times as I've come here, I've never gotten tired of this sight," she explained.

"I don't know how you could," Kairi breathed, dreamily resting against the railing. "If I had known this is what I would be coming into..."

"This is amazing!" said Uraraka as she came to join them on the patio. Bright eyes scanned over the horizon and her body shook with anticipation. "What a sight!"

"How magnificent! What a perfectly dazzling place!" Aoyama greeted excitedly.

"Look at how blue that water is!" remarked Tsu.

"This is really spectacular!" said Iida.

"I've never seen a place like this before!" said Izuku. Shoto joined the rest of the group on the deck, looking out at the mountain in its growing red light. Momo turned away from the rest of the group and began headed back inside, Tsu close behind. Iida filed in and then Aoyama grew tired of standing on the deck, leaving Izuku, Uraraka, Shoto, and Kairi.

"Hmm, whatever they're cooking in there smells really good," Izuku said, the warm meaty smells drawing him away from the vision before them.

"Mmm! I'm excited for supper!" Uraraka said.

"Maybe we should go put our stuff away." Uraraka nodded before turning her body towards Kairi. "You coming?"

Dazed, she hadn't lifted her head or made any sort of gesture to acknowledge she heard her. She simply gazed into the distance, a quarter of a smile glimmering on her lips.

"In a minute..." came her soft response. Uraraka quirked one brow before shrugging, and following Izuku back through the sliding doors. Silently, Shoto leaned up against the railing some distance away from Kairi.

"It's quite the sight," Shoto finally said.

"Yeah..." she hushed dreamily. "It is."

"Have you never seen Mount Fuji before?"

"Not like this," she sighed. "My father and I haven't really gone farther than an hour away in a long time. I never had anyone to travel with other than him and his job is... his quirk allows him to be very good and very fast in catching criminals. Because of that, he's given many cases and feels obligated to take on a lot of jobs, plus it allows him to pay for my tuition here. He's always working, I swear. But the moment I need him, he drops everything and attends to me." Shoto turned, giving her a sort of admirable expression.

"You dad sounds great."

"He is. Our bond has really restored over the years, but it's only been like this the last three years or so. Even now we still have our moments. Especially on the days he's extremely stressed and I'm upset. We kind of stick to opposite ends of the house then. It's like... he almost had a reaction like mom, where I became difficult to handle, but he was far more patient and clearly cared more than she did. With time, he learned I think. It was rough though." Shoto looked out into the horizon, eyes fallen with sadness. "I know he wants to date again."

"Oh? Has he mentioned anyone specific?"

"No, but I've caught him admiring some families and occasionalyl he will stop and admire some woman. Not in a creepy way just in that 'Oh wow she's breathtaking' way. He thinks I haven't noticed, but I have."

"Do you want him to?" Kairi stiffened.

"I... don't know. I want him to be happy, but I know the woman would need to be able to deal with me and that's number one issue. At this point, I think he may just be waiting til I go to college. It's not that I care about him not being with mom, it's just it's always been me and him. I suppose though, that would change anyway if I went away for college."

"Were you planning on going away for college?" Kairi shrugged.

"No idea. I don't even know what I want to do. I mean I... I want to be a hero, of course, but I want something to study as a fall back plan. Who's to say this will even work out for me?"

"You got into UA though, and were accepted into second year. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"It means I have the potential, but doesn't mean I will be one. I never got my provisional hero license. I mean, I hope to get it this year but..." Noisily, a rolling thunder dispelled from Kairi's stomach. She reddened and collapsed her eyes into the crook of her arm. "Ugh." Shoto chuckled lowly.

"Why don't we head inside?" he asked. She nodded, and stepped forward first.

The meal was luxurious and left them all pretty well overstuffed. After all rooms were selected and properly unpacked, the group met together late that night, an array of snacks spread before them. Pillows and a couple of blankets were spread between them as many of the pajama-clad students lounged against them.

"I am terribly sorry to have to tell you this, but that is going to be an _uno_ for me!" Iida said as he laid down his red eight, and wiggled his singular card.

"Are you sure about that?" Uraraka challenged, laying down her next card. "Reverse!" Iida dropped his mouth, eyes falling sadly. He reached for the pile, pulling in six more cards before he was able to play one. Kairi sipped at her bottle of cola and looked over her cards, considering the possibilities and what cards she should play for each. Momo played a green four and Shoto laid down a green six. Tsu's tongue lolled out of her mouth as she peered over her hand with deep interest, finally choosing a skip that cast a death glare from Kairi to her. Laughing with her eyes, Tsu appeared innocent just as Aoyama dramatically played a green nine.

"That's a draw four for you, Ochaco," Izuku teased as he rested his card.

"What?!" Uraraka called. "But I only had three!"

"That's just too bad then!" Iida said confidently, and followed her play. The game continued for three more turns with Aoyama ended up winning the game and then proudly began to declare his victory by prancing around the house in his shimmering white silk pajamas. Momo stood up triumphantly.

"Everyone get to bed early! We have a heart breakfast awaiting us in the morning and then we can finally hit the beach!" There were a couple of cheers in excitement as most of the group began to run up the stairs to their chosen rooms. Momo swept up the cards and packed them together. Kairi rocked on her feet nervously.

"Do you... want help?"

"What? Oh no, I got this and anything that gets missed my staff will take care of."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes! Get going. We'll hit the beach tomorrow. It's going to be so fun!" Momo sang with enthusiasm. Kairi nodded and slowly ascended the stairs, sluggish feet dragging her along as her gut swirled. It had been ages since she had been swimming recreationally, and while the beach was private so there would be a lot less people, several stabbings inside still produced a nervous twitching. She was both elated and dreading the coming day. A soft hand barely touched against her shoulder blade, making her skin leap in surprise.

"Sorry," Shoto apologized. "You have no need to worry."

"What?"

"Whatever you're nervous about. My guess is it's about the beach. If you're worried about me being nearly drowning again – I'm an excellent swimmer. It was the narrow passage that almost did me in. The beach will be vast and open." Kairi's soul settled, but then her lip tipped in snark.

"You sure it was the narrow passage and not your big feet?" she taunted, tapping her skippered foot atop his bare one. Shoto arched his forehead, impressed and amused with how she was challenging him.

"My feet happen to be incredibly average for my height," he scoffed, crossing his arms as his posture indicated his patience as he waited for the next jab.

"Maybe if you grow an extra three inches."

"Okay, Miss Tall Second Toe." Disgust wrinkled her nose, horror striking her eyes.

"That's... not even a clever insult!" she huffed, mortification grieving her face. "Anyways, it doesn't matter. It's not like people enjoy looking at feet." A rare, hearty laughed burst from his lips, his left hand holding back his side. Kairi worriedly shifted her eyes, rocking in place with discomfort from such a rare occurrence.

"You haven't been on the internet much, have you?" he coughed.

"Are you _kidding _me? I can easily win that argument. Streaming services will easily defend my cases and quickly prove that is so wrong. Perhaps you would also like to retrieve my list of fan forums? Oooh, I could also provide you with the selections of fanfiction I have favorited and bookmarked on this app!" Fingers prodded against the screen on her phone, and Kairi raised the illuminated face to proudly display her stories.

"Perhaps you frequent all of six sites so often you don't realize how twisted the internet is about some of the strangest things," Shoto bit back, a smugness winding its way back into his face. "There are several pages dedicated to just feet, and its mildly to severely disturbing."

"Once again, have you ever _read_ fanfiction?" She wiggled the phone in front of his face again. "Some of this stuff is _yikes_! And... wait, Shoto _please_ don't tell me you're aware of these _feet pages_ because you look at them!" Cringing, she rippled away, face stricken with an uncatergorized emotion.

"No! Hell no, that's... hurtful and distressing you would even consider that," he grimaced.

"You're the one who brought up feet!"

"You were the first person to utter the word feet! While we're on the subject of disturbing content, why are you aware of the apparently troublesome content found in fanfiction?"

"_Because_ people on fan forums talk. It's not my fault you're not so deeply involved in the sweet, agonizing journey of falling in love with something so pure and wholesome and then watch it be squashed to a million bits in the most addictive way possible!" As she spoke, she moved through no less than five dramatizations of emotions, an illustration of how involved she felt in everything. She snapped back into a default mode, face a tinge of pink as she broke a smile again. "Besides that, sometimes I start a story, it gets weird and I quickly walk back out of it. Plus, memes are a very important cultural relevance." A cock of her head. "I hope your reasons for knowing about the disturbances of feet are for similar reasons."

"Sadly, there's not a lot I don't know in that realm thanks to Mineta's intense knowledge about... that." He moved his hand in a wave motion, holding it at a distance to indicate how detached he was. A gentle, endeared smile pulled at his lips again. "I knew you enjoyed things casually. I knew you were fan but not quite this... involved. Not to this degree of emotional investment." She giggled, brushing her hair slightly over her blooming cheeks.

"Yeah, well... I am. I mean, before now I didn't exactly have friends in the traditional sense, but there are a few mutual I recognize on servers and forums. It's easier to interact with them since they aren't affected by my quirk. Plus, I mean... since I was never really able to get emotionally invested in people I got invested in media." Shoulders raised and dropped quickly. "It's not like I hide it. You've seen my collectables and my books."

"But you don't talk about it." She waved her hand.

"I picked up on people getting tired of it and stopped."

"It's refreshing to see you take on such an enthusiastic interest," he replied, shrugging. "I don't mind if you wanted to say something around me from time to time." Another cock of her brow.

"Are you sure about that, Shoto? That might just be your death wish. When I start, it could take awhile for me to stop!" Kairi waggled a finger, the richness in her amber irises twinkling with her mirth.

"Then make sure you do it when Bakugo is in the room. Maybe it will drown him out." She produced a noise that was a reminiscent of a rummaging sow, and slapped a hand over her mouth and nose. Kairi's center was leaping, jittery with bouncing glee. Her body eased back into itself, previous worries tucked safely away.

"Noted." Shoto carefully stepped backward in the direction of his open door.

"Have a good night, Kairi. See you in the morning." Kairi nodded her response and slipped through a nearby door. The door fell into a click as it shut. Her tamed mind set herself to work in turning down the bedding and checking the alarms on her phone first. It pinged as an incoming message from Shoto came in. A swipe of her finger opened it up. It was a singular gif from a popular animated show. To fit with the yelling image of the character, the bottom text simply said "NEEEERRRDDDD!" Another text came through with a laughing emoji.

_Go to sleep! _– Kairi

She placed her phone on the table beside her borrowed bed. Once confirmed the phone would remain silent and Shoto probably had decided to go to bed, Kairi rolled back over. She fell asleep with the glimmer of contentedness.

* * *

**As always, reviews are always appreciated but you are certainly not required :)**


	26. A Friendly Nudge

It was not a revealing swimsuit. At least, that's what she continued to tell herself. That's what her friends had all said. It even passed the father test. "Some high school boys are just naturally always going to find it thrilling when high school girls wear swimsuits, even if they are extremely modest," he had said. "You could wear a suit that went down to your knees and covered your shoulders, and they were still be excited by how tight it fits, and the idea of being completely drenched. No matter what you did or what you wear, people will find it attractive. So just wear what you like and if anyone tries to make a pass at you, cut their damn fingers off and remind them that your father is a cop who can easily track down a teenage kid." It made her feel at ease about the swimsuit she had chosen. However, standing in front of the full-length mirror and analyzing how the pale blue shorts fit against her thighs was making her question things. She pressed her palms against her completely covered abdomen, trying not to stress too much over how wide her waistline looked. The fabric of the matching blue top hung in flowing drapes over her body. It was thin fabric, but not sheer, so there really should be no reason to be worried, Kairi told herself repeatedly. The most distressing aspect was probably right where the fabric gathered, where a cleavage would be if she had impressive breast. There was a gentle rise, thankfully she had always straddled that line of not being as flat as a board but also not so voluptuous in the chest that wandering eyes were a frequent problem for her. But the sweetheart cut of the tankini top, speckled with yellow and pink flowers definitely gave her a little more definition, even if it wasn't impressive. Her hand lingered over the strap that slung around her neck, tempted to throw off the whole thing and step into some jeans and a sweater. Twitching fingers ached to do so.

"Beach time!" yelled out Momo excitedly as her door snapped open and hit against the wall. Kairi winced sheepishly and then leapt against her shoulders. "That looks great on you, Kairi!"

"Momo, what if I was still changing?!" she hissed defensively. Her eyes dropped to Momo's bright red bikini top and instantly felt far more clothed than her friend was. A lush white towel with gold embroidery was tied about her waist.

"Oh yeah... sorry about that. I'm just so excited to get down there! I've been looking forward to this for weeks!"

"Yeah, I'm thinking that maybe I should just... put on some pants and-"

"Ohhohoho no!" Momo said as Kairi leaned over the mess of cosmetics and hair accessories strewn in a small travel case on her bed. Her fingers plucked a band out of the pile and began to wind around her dark trails of hair. "You have to come and swim with us! At least try. You can take your time to get used to the others around us and spend a little time on the sand if you like but at least get into the water."

"I'll make an attempt..." Kairi gave in, brushing the blue strand to fall in front of her face again. "Okay? I promise I will try my hardest." Hands pulled a white boho coverup dress off a suspended hanger near the window.

"That's what I like to hear!" The coverup fell over Kairi's head, its long sleeves giving her some comfort and the knee length flattening some anxiety. However, the dip in the hemline that revealed the cleavage wasn't quite welcome, stitched roses following the trim of the center. "Half of the class is already down there! Come on!" Shrugging off the last of her defeat, Kairi picked up her tan sandals and swiped her dragon towel from the chair. Momo led her out of her room and the two sped over the steps. Momo blasted through the door leading to the deck. The private beach already had a couple dozen of visitors on it, more than half of them in the water. Several others were either stretched out on the beach relaxing or enjoying a book or their phones. Some younger children screamed playfully and pushed together clumps of sand into half-formed structures. A tickling breeze carried the caws of birds swirling overhead while the water rushed and retreated against the edge of the sand. Vibrant colors shone under the basking of the bright sun, creating a clear outline of the mountain far in the distance. Kairi stuck her hand out, almost offended by how the sun seemed to target her in its path, and she turned her head from it as soon as she touched the sand.

"Yaomomo!" Iida shouted, waving from where he stood at the edge of the water. "Hoshino, you two finally decided to join us!"

"Yeah! Sorry to have taken our time, someone needed a little encouragement!" she called. She gripped a hold of Kairi firmly as they reached where Shoto had been resting on a dark blue towel, dressed in a steel blue opened button up, cargo shorts to complete his look. Five other towels had been laid around his feet with corresponding pairs of shoes or sandals. A couple of bottles of sunscreen lay beside him, along with two plastic buckets and a small shovel. An umbrella shrouded him from the rays of the sun while he brushed a finger over his phone screen.

"So you ended up being the bag of holding?" Kairi snorted, taking in the array of stuff.

"'Todoroki, since you can't swim, you're okay with keeping an eye on our stuff, right?'" he quoted through expressive eyebrows. "Yes, it would seem I have become the person to leave items with."

"Thank you so much!" said Momo before she proceeded to drop her towel and slide out of her sandals. "Kairi, let's go!"

"Wait, I..." Her resistance pulled Momo back. "Give me a minute okay. I need to ease into easing into the water... if that makes sense."

"All right," she smiled. "Don't take too long though, okay? We're waiting for you!" She dropped her hand and waved to the others in the water. Uraraka and Tsu passed a beach ball back and forth and Izuku sprung out of the water to wave back. Aoyama was busy practicing a backstroke while he frequently turned to see if anyone was looking and how magnificently he was swimming. Iida walked along the edge of the beach, pausing to peer at the sand and looked interested in whatever he found.

"What a terrible duty you received," Kairi said, plopping her towel down and sitting beside Shoto.

"It's less depressing than if I simply stayed inside while everyone ran to go have fun," he said.

"Sorry. Again." He glared. "Okay, I know that what I did was ultimately the correct choice, but it doesn't make it feel less bad about it and I will probably continue to apologize for it for the next year."

"I will be able to have fun with everyone else again in a few more weeks," he reminded. "I enjoyed dinner and being able to play games with everyone last night. It's not as if I am incapable of everything. Just swimming and heavy lifting."

"So what do you find so fascinating on that phone?" She leaned to indicate interest, avoiding actually peeking at his screen.

"For starters, my father was asking if I was using this time as training opportunities."

"Gross. It's summer, who wants to work?"

"I'm convinced he has no memory of how things were for him as a teenager."

"Was he ever one?" Shoto smirked. A breeze swept lightly through, flapping aside the right side of his open shirt. Just outside the center of his chest was a trace of yellow, the same shade of a fading bruise. Her eyes fell away, reminding herself over again it was what was needed to be done. Bruises fade, as the evidence in front of her told. Hands quickly busied themselves with picking a nearby children's shovel and scooping sand into a plastic bucket. Shoto's eyes moved from his screen to her. "Are you planning on building a sandcastle?"

"I... don't know..." she sighed, looking into the half-full bucket settled between her legs. "I was just... fidgeting. Again. As usual."

"You should go swim with the others."

"Remember, I told you I didn't really plan to?"

"Yes, but..." He extended an accusatory finger. "You also were convinced to buy a new swimsuit _as well_ as a coverup. You must be planning to swim."

"Well maybe I... was." Kairi sadly clasped her hands in front of her. "But now that I'm here I don't... really want to..." Her eyes went back out to the water, where Uraraka was seated on Izuku's shoulders, Momo seated on Iida's shoulders. The two girls cackled excitedly as they playfully reached towards the other to wrestle and push the other one off. Aoyama was swimming rapidly to try and catch up with Tsu, who was moving much faster than he was. She paused and bobbed in the water, waiting for him to catch up. Just before he could grab at her, she dove back down again, laughing heartedly. Kairi's heart reached for the water, desperately aching to be among them and join in the merriment. Just as willpower pushed against her and gave her the permission to move, fear yanked her back. An unseen weight clamped around her and held her down, forbidding her to move. Imaginary eyes fell to her when she thought about dropping the cover up and making a run for the water. Her wrists pulsed quicker as she felt the briskness of open air against her thighs and touching up against her much too low neckline. Kairi pulled at the fabric in front of her, covering as much as she could make it do.

"You're conflicted," Shoto guessed. "It helps that I can tell that, but why are you conflicted?"

"It's so stupid..." she grumbled. "It's vain and ridiculous and clearly none of the others care so why is it such a big deal for me?"

"Girls? Kairi, I still have no idea what you are talking about?"

"I..." Cheeks burned with red. "I'll just stay here. I won't swim." Shoto fully put his phone down and twisted his body to indicate his full attention.

"If that is what you want to do, you're fully welcome to do. But Kairi, you shouldn't deny yourself doing something if that's what you want to do. You don't want to end up regretting doing something."

"So if you were allowed to swim..."

"I would be in there with everyone as well," he nodded. Kairi looked down and began scooping more sand into the bucket.

"It's a little embarrassing and super dumb."

"What is?" She gnawed on her lip.

"Because I haven't had a swimsuit in like... forever, erm... I am currently showing more skin right now in public than I have in years. If I take off the coverup then..." Her sentence faltered to a zone she hoped Shoto found. A dusting of a blush did overcome him, but he made no other impression that he was disturbed by her comment.

"Once you're in the water, no one is going to be looking at you," he reminded her.

"It's the getting in and getting out part I'm nervous about." Kairi levelled off the sand, tapping the play shovel against it. Shoto breathed deeply, as if he were desperate for words to say.

"I don't want you to regret your decision, but if that's how you feel you're welcome to help me in the duty of watching everyone else's shit." A warm smile cut through her. "Did you want to find something to watch? There's hundreds of shows you love, right?"

"Sure, we can do that. But first – holy _shit_ did you see that bird pick up that fish?!" Shoto immediately whipped around after seeing how quickly her eyes became saucers and hearing how urgent she sounded. Back to her, Kairi acted quickly. The bucket tipped from her hands and dropped an avalanche of the moist sand over his head and shoulders. Kairi's wild laughter met with his surprised gasped and spitting of the few particles that found his mouth. The tan patches of the beach clung to his face and wove into his duo – colored hair. Slowly and with purpose, he turned back towards her and gave her the most challenging death glare ever laid upon a person. His bright blue eye glinted as a smirk carved back onto his face. The boiling bubbles that had stirred Kairi's joy vanished into ecstatic dread upon seeing his expression. Shoto shook out his hair and shrugged off his now sand drenched shirt, leaving him just in his cargo shorts. Knowing she was now dead, Kairi took off with a grin, her slender legs zooming across the beach.

Shoto was close behind, leaving a trail of sand in the air as he took off after her. A blur of dark hair swept over her face when she looked back and then squealed before she moved faster. The uneven terrain hindered her and caught her in stumbles. Her sandal was eaten by a deeper divot in the sand and her body rolled over the gentle rises below her. Flailing arms fought to get herself back up, but Shoto snatched her wrist before she could launch herself running again. He pulled her down quickly again, a twisted grin giving away his enjoyment. As she was carefully smashed against the beach, he moved quickly to shovel sand over her body.

"Shoto! Stop!" she called, but the dipping in her laughter paired with the explosion of joy gave her away. He kicked at the sand quickly so in moments, a mound of sand rose over her whole body.

"You said you didn't want to swim, now no one can make you," he taunted. The boy hopped back up onto his feet and then looked down at her innocently. A flourish of his hand told her goodbye and he strutted his way back to where he was sitting previously.

"Shoto!" Kairi shouted, wriggling to shift some of the sand from herself. Bit by bit, it broke away. Heavy, but weak, the mound cracked and she could rip her arms away. Top limbs free, spindly fingers worked through the top of it and began to brush it all away. Half of it gone, she kicked her legs out from the remainder and rolled from her temporary cage, the ties of her coverup coming loose and hanging loosely over her shoulders. Not quite noticing how open her attire was, feet carried her back while she shook out the remaining dust from her hair. Shoto was where she had found him, still sweeping over his phone. Kairi pressed her hands to her hips, waiting for some recognition from her.

"Can I help you with something, Sandy?" he replied without looking from his phone.

"Well as it turns out, I'm strong, independent lady who doesn't need help from any guy!" she huffed proudly.

"You may need to go wash all that sand off. No better way than a jump in the water!"

"I can just as easily take a shower!"

"True, but considering the water is right there and your coverup is half off anyway." Kairi's faced turned white, and she looked down to see that her shoulders and legs were much more exposed than they had been previously. Her rounded cheeks deepened with red.

"You planned that!"

"How?" he scoffed. "You're the one who dumped the sand on _my_ head. I was simply getting you back. By the way, not a single soul is looking your way." With horror, her head spun. Parents playing with their children. Couples splashing around together in the water. Teenagers sitting on the beach with their phones. Friends pushing each other in flotation devices. Her chest settled. It was true. Not a soul was paying attention. It was as if she was dressed head to toe. A relieved smile took her face. Kairi proudly walked back up to where Shoto was sitting and dropped her coverup beside his feet. He waved a hand dismissively.

"Go. Have fun. I'll sit here and check out... what was it?"

"_The Legendary Scroll of Jadis_," Kairi corrected with dramatic devotion, holding an emotive fist to her chest. "If you don't fall in love with Gilaf, then you're wrong." She crouched beside and touched the top of her head to his shoulder in a motion not quite a hug.

"Don't touch me until you're no longer covered in sand," he sneered teasingly, pressing play on the phone.

"So you're totally okay with me hugging you when I'm sticky and dripping wet?"

"Absolutely not." Amber eyes bugged as a melancholy shot over a dismal castle came into view on the phone.

"Ooh, this is-" Muscular arms swifted the phone from her sight.

"Kairi! Go! Or I will throw you in myself!"

"No! The doctor said no heavy lifting!"

"You're hardly heavy, but you _know_ I will do it! So unless you genuinely have no desire to swim with our friends..." From a distance, Tsu, Momo, and Iida could be heard calling for her to join them.

"Fine! When we're done, you are giving me a full report on your impression of the first episode!"

"So you've said four times already." He waved his hand again. This time, Kairi complied and barreled towards the end of the water. The water rustled as she threw herself into the welcoming embracing of her friends, and Shoto dipped his head back down to his phone, a smile remaining.


	27. Grounded Guidance

Clean and free of every last sand particle, Kairi pulled a brush through her freshly dried hair as she appreciated how kind every strand was being as it fell perfectly into place. She fastened her jeans and rolled a thin cardigan over her bright yellow t-shirt, flicking her hair out of the collar. A polite knock on her door drew her attention and she called out permission for the other to enter. The door whined as Tsu stepped inside, her mouth wide with enthusiasm.

"It sounds like there's going to be a concert on the public side of the beach," she told her slowly. "I know today was already exhausting for you, but the others are really excited to go and we were all hoping to go."

"A concert? Who's playing?"

"I'm not sure it's that kind of concert. I think it's some band that's locally famous around here. Yaoyorozu says they regularly have beach concerts here in the summer, especially when school is out. She says most of them are pretty good." Her stomach stretched and feet began to shift quickly. Kairi swallowed roughly.

"Everyone wants to go?"

"Seems that way, but no one is going to make you. I think Todoroki was glad to be able to join everyone in something." She felt tighter, guilt growing.

"Oh... so, um, what's the scene like?"

"Yaoyorozu said there's a lot of kids our age, but there are some college age as well." The vice tightened. Her breaths became bigger, deeper with tension. The crowd would be intense. And tight. The private beach had been easier because it was less people, but there was going to be so many. Cramped, unable to move. Body odor escalating and she could find room to breathe in. Bodies jostling, banging into each other. Kairi pictured the noise, and overlapping cacophony of hollers, clapping, screams and shouts of joy in between moments of singing. The bass from the music would infect her heart and create its beat. It would be an emotional moment for so many reasons. She could get into it and that would help to lift the atmosphere. More likely, she would become overwhelmed and make everyone anxious. That close of proximity, they couldn't handle it. They would get restless, which would agitate everyone around her.

Throat closing, Kairi gulped in her air. Hands reached for the edge of the set of drawers, stabilizing herself over it. Tsu quickly padded over to her and pressed a hand to her wrist.

"Are you okay, Hoshino?" she asked. Her fingers against Kairi's arm were shaking and growing white as well, as her anxiety reflected back.

"I'm fine, I just... don't want to think about... It's okay."

"You don't need to go to the concert. We just wanted to invite you because we thought it would be fun."

"I know, I appreciate that I just..." Her nose wrinkled, disturbed by the feel of starch in her mouth. The insides of her mouth ached as she forced out the words. Gut rolled and twisted. She flexed her fingers, urging the color to come back to her fingers. "That's... a lot of people and... I don't know... I don't... I can't, um... Could you..."

"Kairi, breathe. Take your time." Her hand fell against her back and seemed to draw her breathing, guiding their motion. With the touch of comfort to steady her, Kairi forced her breaths to slow and diverted her eyes to look for anything to draw her attention. Something to calm her mind. Anything to distract her.

"Tsu?" came a masculine voice from the open door. Shoto paused and entered when he took a moment to assess the situation. "Kairi, are you hurt at all?"

"No..." she whispered.

"I asked her about the concert and..."

"She got anxious?" Shoto guessed, keeping close to the door frame and holding the distance between them. Tsu nodded and his dual-colored eyes moved to her arched frame, analyzing the stance she took. "Kairi, can you breathe?" She nodded, but couldn't hide the raggedness as she pushed out a slow breath. "Five things." Tsu's eyes questioned him. "Trust me."

"The... lamp. The window, the... bed. The mirror, and my suitcase."

"Four things."

"This dresser..." The pressure of Tsu's hand on her back reminded her. "Tsu. The... floor." One hand flew to the rough material against her leg. "My jeans." The knot began to uncoil. Breathing soothed and her throat burned less. Fingers loosened their hold against the set of drawers.

"Three."

"The water rushing outside. The wind. The birds." She looked over to Shoto, who merely blinked. She swallowed and straightened herself. "I can smell the bay outside, and the shampoo in my hair from the shower." Her muscles unwound and her body felt exhausted. Her chest levelled and she rose to her full height again, looking at Shoto gratefully.

"And what do you taste?"

"Pieces of chicken left over from dinner. I need to brush my freakin' teeth." Tsu smiled and Shoto rolled his eyes lightly. "Thank you, Shoto."

"You're welcome. It's fine, Tsu. Tell everyone they can go to the concert. I'll stay with Kairi."

"No!" Kairi immediately said, her throat filling with her stomach again. "Tsu said you wanted to go, I can't have you do that, Shoto."

"It's fine, I'm certain we can find a game to play or something. It doesn't even seem like a band I would listen to, by what Yaomomo said," he dismissed, acting as if he had no care for the issue.

"No, Shoto! You couldn't swim, I'm not going to have you miss out on this too!"

"It isn't fair to leave you home alone."

"There's the staff and... and..." Desperate thoughts flitted away and all that filled the space was blankness.

"I'm perfectly fine watching more of that show you wanted me to watch."

"No! No, because I'm... going to go!" The words hissed through her mouth and the acid taste burned. But the second they were in the air, she clung to them with assured determination, and they could both feel it.

"You don't want to go to the concert." Shoto stated.

"Yes! Yes I do!" she protested. Pressure built in her again, but she kept her focus on her friend in front of her, Tsu's voice echoing in her brain that he wanted to go. She wouldn't keep him. Not after everything she had done to him. Not after everything he had done for her. Images of heavy crowds threatened to stir her up again, but the need to fulfill Shoto's want was greater. Thinking of how she would keep him from fun, it split her open and caused her grief. "I can't get past anything if I don't work past them, right?"

"Yes, but in small amounts. This sounds like it will be a _huge_ crowd, Kairi. Have you seen that beach?" Heart pulsed quickly, and she whimpered. Eyes shut and she took in a warm breath.

"My friends will be there. That's enough." The courage to say such things without stuttering impressed her so she looked over Shoto and Tsu with saucer-wide eyes. Another swallow was met with a roughness in her chest. Fingers fidgeted behind her back but her feet didn't move from her firmly planted spot. "I'm going, Shoto! That's it, and you can't change my mind!" He blinked as Tsu looked between them, waiting for some response.

"Yeah, I can tell I won't," he smirked. "I'll tell everyone else. We'll head down in a half hour to get good spots." He turned and left the room. Once he had gone was when the confidence shattered and Kairi fell against the edge of her bed. Palms pressed against each other while she tapped her foot quickly. Tsu, sensing how she felt, sat beside her on the bed.

"Are you really going to go?" she asked.

"I have to! I can't have Shoto stay behind!"

"Maybe I could stay behind?"

"No one is staying behind!" Kairi blurted, surprising Tsu. "No, no, I need to... I have to... I need to get ready! I need to find something... a nice shirt, a dress, a... are these jeans...? No... Oh, I haven't been to a concert since I was... what does one..."

"Kairi..." Her tense fingers reached for her hands. "I'm here. Breathe... what was it that Todoroki had you do? Naming things? I'll do it with you. Then, I'll help you get ready, _ribbit_. It will be okay."

Regret set in with Kairi realized why media portrayed those who identify as female would often pack so many clothes. She didn't have enough, and wasn't even sure what sort of concert it would be. Thoughts tangled as she mentally beat herself for not preparing her for every event, but Tsu talked softly and assured her the sundress she had packed that Momo had practically forced her to buy would do just fine. A square neck, it thankfully covered all the scary bits and had short flutter sleeves. The cream-colored length of the dress fell to her knees and was freckled with light purple roses all over it. Momo loaned her jeweled barrette to pull back the blue strip in her hair and Kairi focused a bit of time applying light cosmetic to her eyes. Feeling slightly less anxious about her looks, she steadied herself enough to find the confidence to step out of her room. She met with her friends at the door and froze at the sight of them, feeling instantly plain.

Uraraka was wearing a short flowy dress, pale pink with spaghetti straps. A cute headband completed her look. Tsu had decided on a green blouse with a white skirt that almost shimmered as she moved. Her long hair had been pulled up and there was actually a trace of eyeliner on her face. Momo wore a sweetheart vintage dress, with an incredibly puffy skirt. White, with large red flowers spread over it, there was no denying the dress cost a fortune. Her hair had been rolled into a fancy bun and she shone with radiance. The men may not have taken the concert quite as far, but they had dressed up for the event. Iida wore a pale blue dress shirt tucked into a pair of freshly pressed slacks, while Izuku wore a white button up with pleated khaki pants. Aoyama, of course, was by far the most dressed up of the boys – his dress shirt was lavender and faintly glimmering, hanging loose over a pair of flawless white pants. Shoto appeared behind them, the last to meet with the crowd. He wore jeans and a t-shirt. But the jeans were clean, looked almost brand new, and he wore a nice black denim jacket over his shoulders, rolling up the sleeves to their elbows. Kairi breathed slowly again. At least someone dressed a little more casually than she did. Bare arms crossed in front of her chest and her right hand reached to cover the wrinkled scarring on her left elbow. It had long healed and was clean, however she would feel self-conscious about wearing anything with short sleeves again. Kairi turned to smile at Shoto and then guilt hit her. It could be far worse. It could have been on her face where it would always be noticeable. And Shoto didn't seem concerned with his scar, so why couldn't she ignore her own?

"Let's head on down to the concert!" Uraraka announced ecstatically.

"Quickly, but in an organized fashion, single-file!" Iida added with pride. Ignoring any word he said, the rest of the group pushed at each other to pile into the limo Momo had requested to pick them all up. It only took a few moments for the limo to pull around to the public side of the beach where it pulled over on the edge of the road, stopping just before the landing that led to the wooden stairs. With a thank, Momo led the group out the vehicle and they excitedly clamored to the steps built into the hill that cut off the beach from the road. Uraraka hung out closely beside a scarlet Izuku who couldn't fight a wide grin.

"Can't you just feel the excitement in the air!" Aoyama said, prancing his way down the steps with far more grace that Kairi felt she could ever master. Still some distance from the beach, she looked over the vastness of the sand and already began to see a smattering of young folk congregating before a platform with a set of drums and microphones on it. Large black boxes sat on the corners of the stage, a sure sign it was going to be loud. Her chest already echoed the sound of the drums they would be hearing soon. She rolled her fingers into her palms to hide the residue her anxiety was forming. An invisible cord pulled against her throat, but her legs still moved. Breathing drowned out the calls of the birds against the sunset and the muffled laughter and excited cries from the beach.

"If this is too much for you, you're more than welcome to turn back," Iida told her politely, though his tight expression revealed too much about how much of her own emotions he was feeling. "Would you like me to escort you back?"

"No..." she breathed slowly. "No I want... I want you to... to have fun."

"Hoshino?" Tsu said, pulling back. Weights pulled at her feet as she mentally begged them to move. Move they did, but it was slow. Her friends fussing over her, the tension building, it was big enough to alert her friends to her. Even as she tried to stabilize her heavy wheezing, they could already tell how she was feeling by what she was projecting. A sick guilt dropped in her again.

"I'm fine, please just go!" she snapped, jerking her arm around from Tsu's comforting touch.

"You really don't have to..." Momo told her quietly. "It's okay, I promise it is."

"Yeah, we're not in any rush!" Uraraka warmly said as she grabbed Izuku's shoulder and urged him to stop. "We don't even have to go to the concert." Izuku nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we'll even all go back to the house if you want," he replied, a smile straining against the overspill of her anxiety.

"Maybe we could head to get some dinner at lovely restaurant in the city?" Aoyama suggested. "It would be quite a shame to get all dressed up and have not a reason for it. Of course, I always look glamorous, but you look _trés belle_, Hoshino and such beauty should not go unnoticed." While the compliment stirred a gentle flutter in her, it did nothing to dissipate the discomfort.

"No, that would only make it worse!" Kairi cried. She pivoted quickly, searching for anyway to escape or something to get out of this situation. "Making you stay behind would cause me more damage than going to the concert! No I'm..." Eyes jumped to the crowd forming with terror. Guilt restrained her when she looked at the concerned people around her. Shoto remained quiet, but a stern expression showed he was waiting for her answer without judgment. Her body whipped back, looking at the limo that still sat there. At this point, she would feel awful if she sat at home alone. She would feel awful if one person sat with her. Being in the crowd would cause her to feel terrible, but so would everyone staying behind with her. No option presented complete bliss – she was bound to suffer the aches and the stress with any option. Even if she was alone she wouldn't really be alone – the staff would be there. She would suffer, and others would suffer. A sigh pulled her down and offered her answer. At least a concert could give her an opportunity to enjoy herself with time, and her friends could have the opportunity as well. Kairi shook as she swallowed the fear and let it sit in her gut.

"No. Let's go," she muttered through clenched teeth. Shoto asked her with a raise of one brow. "I'm sure. It will be okay, eventually." Amber eyes found the green eyes of Izuku again and softened her chest at a slight. "It can't be worse than someone almost dying on us, can it?"

"Yeah!" he smiled warmly, and Shoto smirked at the response. Aoyama, surprisingly, offered a warm hand to her.

"Might I slowly escort you to the beach, _mademoiselle_?" he said kindly. The gesture was dramatic enough to elicit a laugh from Kairi, and it kneaded out a portion of the nerves surging through her. Kairi pressed her fingers against his.

"_Enchanté_," she winked. "That's... how you say it, right?"

"_Qui!_" he laughed. He pulled her hand so they linked arms and allowed everyone else around them to pass. The two moved steadily as the rest pushed into the crowd and scouted for a spot. Momo glanced back over to them and Shoto slowed his pace. Uraraka jumped up from the crowd, declaring she found a great spot. Kairi's heart thumped.

"Would you prefer to stay in the back?" Aoyama asked. She quickly shook her head.

"No. I want to be with my friends. I don't want them to be in the back for my sake. I want to enjoy a normal concert like a normal girl with normal friends."

"I'm dreadfully sorry to tell you I am far from normal. I am fantastic!"

"That you are, Aoyama," she giggled, feeling even lighter. The attention they gave to her, despite how much anxiety was spilling onto them, had warmed her soul and was working to push aside her negative feelings. The nerves were still active and felt restricting, but they were reaching a manageable level. The color returned to her knuckles and the shaking in her wrists paused.

"Coming through! Very important man and lady walking through!" he yelled powerfully as those around their age and older turned to give them an odd look. Kairi blushed, but the confidence Aoyama displayed as he weaved them amongst the concertgoers pulled out a gentle chuckle or two from her, stabilizing her emotions. Instead, she timed her inhales and exhales, pushing her focus into breathing instead of the numbers that stared at her. Trust was the decision she made and closed her eyes.

Aoyama dropped her arm when they stopped and she slowly lifted each eye individually. Pride swelled as her mind gathered the facts; she was in the middle of a crowd. She had made it from the house to a huge gathering. She was here, now, and all she would have to do is standing, jump, and have fun with the friends who were surrounded around her.

"I did it," she said under her breath.

"Yeah you did!" Uraraka squealed, throwing her arms to her in a casual hug. Iida reached over her and patted the top of Kairi's dark brown hair.

"You got through the crowd. But if anything happens, remember, we are right here!" he told her.

"If you need anything, like a stress ball or a paper bag to breathe in, I can make it for you quick," Momo reminded politely.

"I can slap people with my tongue if they get too close," Tsu offered with a mischievous smile. Kairi soared internally at their amusing offers.

"Nobody is watching you; all eyes are on the stage," Izuku reminded. Aglow, she looked around to the grow of friends that surrounded her, as if a shield from those who cause a panic. Protected and comforted, her core burst with pride adoration for those on either side of her.

"You guys are amazing," she breathed emotionally, a flick of moisture clinging to her lashes. Spooking her for half a second, a stroke crept up her fingertips before the warmth of a hand locked against hers. Instinct turned her and Shoto had cut between her and Momo.

"In case you pass out, so I can catch you," he explained. She grinned, her ample cheeks filling with red. "Let me know if you need to leave and we'll leave."

"Thanks," she said, shaking at the sound of the crowd's call to the band stepping out. "But I think I would like to know what it's like to have a regular night out with some friends." Just as the band began, her anxiety did spike – but it only lasted half a song. Soon, her heart fell in line with the beat of the drums and she inhaled deeply the smells around her – the salt air drifting around them, the sweat of thumping bodies around them, the faint scent of liquor from the older crowd that freckled between them, and the lingering smoke from the minor pyrotechnics from the stage. This would be her memory scent for Fun.


	28. The Depths of Everything

_I saw your pictures online. Did you really go to a concert? – _Dad

The text came through the next afternoon. Every muscle cried out in faint pain, sore from the previous night. The worst was her feet. Even though they had been cushioned by the sand, her soles didn't appreciate the nearly three hours of jumping in place amongst her friends. After three songs, enjoyment had overtaken her still dormant tension and dancing and half-singing with her friends had become priority in her mind. Many of the songs were covers so she had known a few of them, and it had given her a sore throat the next morning. But it was one she was proud to have and nursed it with a cup of tea. Pep guiding her feet, she floated through the day brightly and had a newfound affection for all those who had joined her that night. Several pictures had been snapped and Kairi was proud enough to finally post a few online, tagging her friends in them all. Of course, Aoyama snapped hundreds of photos and only deemed a fourth of them good enough to go online.

_I did! It was rough at first, but my friends really encouraged me and I had so much fun_! – Kairi.

She sent off the text in front of the glowing blue glass in front of her, awed by the large unusual fish that floated in front of them. After the stress of the day, the group unanimously agreed on relaxing activities. Kairi easily said yes to the large aquarium the island was apparently famous for – staring at fish was relaxing and she had several as a child. Of course, the several was because she couldn't keep them alive, but they were calming to look at.

_They sound like a wonderful group of friends. I'm glad you've found your herd. Hope you're still having fun_! – Dad.

_I am! We're at an aquarium right now_! – Kairi.

_Oh no. Did you tell the staff you have a secret quirk where fish instantly die in your presence and you may be a hazard_?

_Dad! I'm putting away my phone now and ignoring you_!

Only a half truth, she dismissed the messages her father sent and decided to flip through her friends' posts from the previous night. Kairi stopped in front of the plaque providing detail information about the magnificent tropical two-wing fish. Though a "flying fish" was not something often seen, the memories of the concert were intense and exhilarating enough to distract her from them. A picture of her playfully cringing as Tsu raised her long tongue to wave at the singer (which actually got him to wave to her!), Momo giving her a side hug, Iida photobombing what would otherwise have been a nice picture of her with Izuku and Uraraka, Aoyama looking far more glamorous than she deep into the night as sweat began to run her eyeliner, and a picture Shoto caught of her screaming with the rest of the crowd. He didn't post often, but he had said he liked to now and then for his mother's benefit. She liked to see what he was up and he would keep her updated through it. It was a picture he had taken, on his account, of Kairi getting into the music and the happiest of screams.

-_Concert at the beach was decent. Nice to see my friend moodyriri enjoying herself._

Heart flipped and then mellowed. He had taken other pictures, many of them of the raucous crowd around them, a few of their other friends. Only one of them, however, had he also included himself in the picture. She huffed and rolled her eyes at the poor choice, but couldn't ignore the warm elation it stirred in her. The only picture he had taken that night where he included himself had been with her, and it unclasped a little bit of her pride. There was the small issue of it being a rather unflattering picture. That was nearing the end of the night when the stage lights caught the beaded sweat on her face in the most tragic way, her make up fading and face red from jumping around so much. At least her smile was decent, even if her eyes caught some glare that made her look like a hell spawn.

-_With moodyriri._

She grinned brightly.

"What beautiful fish!" Aoyama said, hands pressed against the sides of his face in wonder further down on the aquarium course. "Uraraka, would you like it if I took a picture of you and Midoriya in front of these fish? It would make for the perfect background!"

"Sure, but why those fish?" she asked, the green-haired boy following close behind her.

"I just think they are wonderful!" he told with a cheeky glint. The two of them walked closer and paused in front of the tank where he stood. Kairi looked over to get a lance of the pale colored fish, small and yet some of them twice as long as most of them. She moved closer to get a better look at the oddly shaped longer ones and then giggled. A peek at the descriptor plaque threw her hand in front of her mouth before she burst out laughing. They weren't longer fish. They were two fish, lips pushed against each other. The fish were called _Kissing gouramis_.

"These fish are kissing!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Which is why it will be an adorable picture!" Aoyama said.

"Let's just pick a different fish! Let's find a big one!" Uraraka quickly offered, and the debate continued as Kairi moved along, passing Tsu staring intently at a separate frog tank as if she were trying to have a conversation with them. Momo and Iida were drawn in by the colorful designs of the tortoises. Shoto stood one tank over, a displayed that covered the rainbow of coral and reefs and housed smaller fish that liked to hide in therm. The anemones waved hypnotically through the seemingly luminescent water and he was almost transfixed. Kairi leaned against the glass next to them.

"It's fascinating what a world lies beneath us," she began, scanning over the yellow fronds and the pink bulbs at array beyond the glass. "It's kind of terrifying that this exists. We could just plunge into the water and swim for hours, run into this and some unknown creature could take us down."

"Good thing you're here right?" he smirked, dazed by the dancing waves of color. "No need to fear the water with you here." Kairi giggled and bit her lip.

"I mean I suppose... There's more dangers than drowning though. It's not just the water. Eaten, poison, there's a number of terrifying things the ocean holds."

"I suppose that's true," he sighed. "As powerful as it is, that doesn't stop people from wanting to learn about it and spend years devoting time and attention to it. Maybe not everyone can appreciate it, but there are those who can. Powerful, but some people still enjoy it and feel more at home around it."

"You mean mermaids?" she snorted. "That's a myth." His expression challenged her.

"80% of the population has quirks and you think there isn't a single person who has some mermaid quirk?"

"I want to know who they are and ask them if they're planning on ignoring everything they were told by their parents in pursuance of love at first sight. Because if so, I am very concerned and I can even prepare a musical number for them." Shoto gave a blank stare but the eventual smirk gave his amusement away.

"I hope you can sing then."

"Not a note, which is why I hope they aren't stupid to chase an unrealistic story like that. It ended badly."

"She ended up with him at the end!"

"The Disney version," Kairi corrected. "The original version ends with her killing herself and turning into seafoam."

"I thought she returned to the air and was given a chance to redeem her soul by doing good deeds."

"That doesn't change the fact she _died_!" Kairi scoffed. "Not a very inspirational ending if you ask me. Maybe if she had decided to just stay away and not chase such childish dreams, she wouldn't have perished and lived for a long time."

"Did we read the same story? You said the original, right? I thought she sacrificed everything for the prince and he still rejected her. Wouldn't the fault be on the prince?"

"That doesn't obligate him to love her. She should have realized that she may love him with her whole heart but that doesn't mean he has to return that love."

"No, but he claimed he would only love the one who saved him, and she resembled her. He chose the other woman because she also looked like her. Meaning that his love was based on looks and nothing meaningful like personality. So he never loved either."

"Such was marriage in those times," Kairi shrugged. "Power, politics, status... it was only just beginning to shift."

"And sometimes in these times," Shoto huffed, and stiffened. Her chest dropped with her guilt.

"Oh Shoto, I didn't mean..."

"I know, it's fine," he said quietly, distracted by the cornflower water envelope the bursting of vibrancy of the oceanic garden.

"I guess I didn't expect you had such strong opinions about an old fairy tale about love."

"I don't. It was the part about the mermaid giving up her life, her home, her comforts, her family, sacrificing and compromising everything in her life to give happiness to a man who chose not to love her," Shoto responded firmly, voice dropping quieter. Kairi extended a hand and pressed it to his shoulder. "He took everything without thinking about what it would do to her."

"I'm sorry, I guess I didn't think about it that deeply."

"No, it isn't your fault. You simply were making a joke. And a point. Ignore me." Kairi pulled her fingers in to form a fist, then slammed it playfully into his right shoulder blade. Of course, his muscular build prevented any impact from being made. He smirked and looked about. "I think a feather fell on my shoulder."

"Oh haha, Kairi is weak, yes, yes," she sarcastically chortled. "I'm aware you could take me in a fight. I believe we already tested that theory."

"You might move too quickly for me to catch you."

"Only because I have less muscles that allow me to fit in small places." Shoto clicked his tongue and blinked rapidly.

"So first you felt bad and now you're making jokes about the incident?"

"If you're going continue to stamp into me that I had nothing to do with then I've decided to go the other route and decide that I wouldn't have had to do such a thing if you didn't work so hard on your physique." His bottom lip fell open and eyes fell upward, confused and searching. His brow knitted.

"Hold on, Kairi. Are you... seriously saying that... it's an issue that I have... too many muscles?"

"Who easily slipped through that passage? Izuku and I. Who's the most muscular of us? You. I'm no expert but..." As she left the question hanging, Shoto's hand rubbed his forehead.

"You think I'm..." His voice vanished.

"I'm sorry did that sea witch from the mermaid story cut out your tongue too? Have you forgotten what words are, Shoto?"

"You know, when you're not being shy, you're kind of annoying," he teased, sharing an expression with her that told her just how done he was with her remarks.

"Yeah, imagine what it was like with my father for all those years when I had no friends and could only speak to him."

"Poor Mr. Hoshino..." Shoto stared at the glass in disbelief, tousling his glistening white and fire red waves with the shake of his head. Kairi pouted playfully and waved a hand in front of his nose.

"Awww, is Mr. Shoto Todoroki still butt hurt by the muscle comment?"

"It's shocking is all. I realize I am generalizing, but it's simply how society has manipulated me to think... but I never thought I would hear a girl complain about a guy having _muscles_."

"What, you're upset you're not hot stuff to every lady in the world?" she snickered, as the voices of the others echoed with their catching up to them. "You're upset that there's someone who isn't completely mad for your rolling biceps and abs?" Shoto groaned at her dramatic mocking. "Would it help if I pretended to be smitten?" She clasped her hands together and held them flirtatiously under her chin. Already seeing where this was heading, his reflection in the glass showed her his rolling eyes before he broke away from the tank. "Oh Shoto! Your muscles are so dreamy! I wish I could just melt into your firm and bulging arms!"

"I get the point, Kairi."

"Oh what a man you are, Shoto Todoroki! What with your rippling ridges falling right over your chest!" He began to quicken his pace while Kairi ran after him acting every bit the lovesick schoolgirl to mock him.

"I think I'm going to get sick."

"How I would love to just tear away that shirt and let my fingers caress-"

"Now I _am_ going to get sick."

"And explore every bulging-"

"Kairi, you are getting _really weird_ now. Please stop. Point taken, thank you very much. The sharks are up ahead, how would you like a really close look? Perhaps the staff can grant you the privilege of allowing you to take a dip into the tank while I make sure they lock it behind you. Eventually they will get hungry."

"Nah, they wouldn't like me," Kairi shifted, not missing a beat. "It's all the snacks, they wouldn't like overly preserved human meat." He ran his fingers through his mess of hair, allowing pieces to fall in his face. Exasperated eyes stared at the ground as a gentle chuckle broke through his lips.

"To think, you seemed like such a sweet, quiet girl when you first joined out class. Now I know better – never trust the quiet ones. They will turn out to be snarky and never give you a moment of peace."

"I'm sweet!" Kairi pouted. "Did you forget? Snacks!" Chuckled hard enough to almost be boisterous, Shoto patted her shoulder affectionately as they slowed and let the others catch up to them.

"I can't _believe_ you made us take that picture in front of those fish!" Uraraka chided Aoyama.

"It would have turned out so cute if you hadn't looked so awkward! You could have even posed like the fish..." Aoyama grieved, swiping his finger across his glittering phone case.

"We said no!" Uraraka said, bright cherry face matching Izuku's, who held a tight awkward smile.

"Hey, Shoto is already throwing me in the shark tank, you want me to take Aoyama too?" Kairi spat back, throwing a charming smile at them.

"Why is he throwing you in the shark tank?" Momo said with blinking eyes.

"Because apparently I'm a terrible actor who's also annoying." Flickering eyelashes attempted to give Kairi a more innocent expression.

"Neither of those seem like you!" Iida offered kindly.

"Aww! See, Shoto!" Kairi cooed.

"You've never seen her act," Shoto grumbled. Tsu gasped and retreated from them, flying to one last terrarium before the concourse diverted to the large tanks where the exceptionally large sea creatures and sharks were housed. An electric blue amphibian perched itself under a warm lamp, just behind his glass barricade. Tsu smiled sweetly as she raised her phone in front of her face, snapping another photo with the blue frog.

"Have you taken a photo with every frog you've seen in this place?" Izuku asked. Tsu nodded proudly.

"Yep, and sending every one to my parents to say I'm at a family reunion." They engaged in a hearty group laughter at her comment. Uraraka continued to scold Aoyama for what she thought was a distasteful joke, as Izuku awkwardly fretted behind the two of them. Their amusement weaved through the tunnel, pooling in Kairi til she spilled over in her elated emotion. The overspill of her quirk echoed beyond her friends, filling the aquarium with joy.


	29. Storming Inside and Out

_I'm having a CRISIS! _– Kairi.

One minute later.

_What, are you all right? - Shoto_

Immediately.

_NOO I am not! Gilaf and Devcry had this MASSIVE fight, I mean MASSIVE. Gil just swore heavily at Dev and told him that if he ever saw him again he would gut out his heart! This is a catastrophe! - Kairi_

Seven minutes later.

_You think the season finale of a TV show is a crisis? _\- S

Immediately.

_Yes, it is! This puts their relationship so far back, I mean they were becoming such good friends and their flirt game was so on! Like, there is no way they weren't secretly thinking about sleeping with each other, especially after Dev called off his engagement. But now this?! Gil is never going to forgive him how is this ever going to get fixed?! (broken heart emoji, sob emoji). _ \- K

Eleven minutes later.

_Aside from the fact I was legitimately concerned something serious happened, what exactly happened to make you so beside yourself for your dear Gil? - _S

_ I can't tell you! It's horrible and spoilers! _\- K

_ But you're perfectly fine with telling me the season finale ended with Gilaf and Devcry possibly ending their friendship? _\- S

_ *Relationship, but yes and it's not my fault you're not caught up! Things are only beginning to blossom between the two of them for you! _– K

_Last you told me they're just best friends right now even though it's obvious they're into each other._ – S

_Yes, that's canon enough to be a relationship. They totally love each other and you can't change my mind. But now they may never be together again! _– K

_Well, my condolences then. _– S

Kairi swiped the message away, already spiraling through the outraged comments via social media and liking the ones she wholeheartedly agreed with. It was late into August, so the wind was whipping its howls and slamming torrents of water against the sides of the house. The last two days had been horrendously wet and humid, locking Kairi away in her basement to enjoy nearly endless hours of streaming television. However, the season finale for her current favorite had just dropped that day and she had stayed away from everything electronic – that was, until it had finished.

The credits flashed by while the ending theme played its melody. Kairi hummed along sadly, tapping against her phone aggressively. The scene shifted to the normal commercial break that played before the next show, a medical drama Kairi had little care for. Her fingers hovered over the remote, but the opening lines to the advertisement tickled her ears.

"_80% of the world's population has a quirk. This is a statistic we have been parroting since we were young kids, leaving those without quirks feeling isolated and lonely. Children and parents alike are left with deep psychological issues thanks to the rejection of society and their peers because of this. This can cause grief on families. Now, in an ideal world, society would just accept the quirkless for who they are, and this is a future we strive for. However, this is unrealistic in our current times, especially as our once Symbol of Peace is now retired." _Black and white images of the once powerful All Might rolled on the screen. Kairi dropped her hand, captivated by the ad's message. _"Until we can reach that future of acceptance, how we can assure the quirkless are getting the best treatment? Counseling and medication helps, of course. But what if there was an easier way? What if we could give out quirks?"_

"What?" Kairi screeched in shocked disbelief. "How is that possible? It's genes!" Shots of smiling scientists, photogenic and good-looking of course, were shown to be seemingly hard at work in the lab. A digital recreation of a double helix rotated before her eyes as it animated to further illustrate the points of the speaker's words.

_"Through advanced science, we have figured out how to imitate a variety of quirks. Through methods of gene splicing and manipulations, scientists have figured out how to manipulate a person's DNA to have quirks. This isn't just for the quirkless either. This is for anyone. Among those who do have quirks, many want to become heroes or use their abilities to help out in more effective ways. But how can that be done when your only quirk is shooting feathers or having pens for fingers? Maybe you feel your quirk is too dangerous and would like a new one. Either way, our top scientists are eager to test out their new technology in giving people quirks. Doctors long ago figured out how to remove quirks for medical emergencies, but let us take that a step further and add, change, or supplement your quirk!" _People who were absolutely actors left a non-descript white building with many windows. They demonstrated quirks like shooting lasers from their hands or being able to jump incredibly high – however, these were also noticeable edited. _"Currently, only a few samples of quirks are on hand, but our advanced scientists at QuirKey are confident in their abilities to obtain more and soon! All that's missing is you! QuirKey is currently accepting test subjects for quirk initiation. For just a few short appointments, you can expect to be paid well and any minor medical issues you may experience during this time will be taken care of with the best care possible. Be sure to visit our website and ask for more information for this exciting offer in scientific advancement! QuirKey. The Key to Your New Quirk!_" More smiling faces faded as the website and phone number were backlit. Kairi wrinkled her nose as disturbance set in. Finally flicking off the TV for fear of what else she may see, fingers flew across the phone's screen again.

_I just saw something odd. _– K.

_Is it more fandom stuff?_ – S.

_No. It was an advert. Have you heard of QuirKey?_ – K.

_I think I saw a few billboards in town for it last week before the typhoon hit. Some new science testing of quirks? _– S.

_Yes, but it's not like ones done before. It seems different, much darker than other quirk testing facilities you may have heard of. I would go so far as to say diabolical sounding?_ – K.

_Diabolical? What do you mean? _ \- S.

Kairi spent a few minutes searching for the advertisement, finding it quickly. She moved the link into the message thread and waiting a few moments for him to watch it. Several minutes gone, and her phone blipped with his response.

_There are several things very concerning about this._ – S.

_Yeah, it feels uncomfortable and I don't know why._ – K.

_For starters, it seems strange to advertise test subject openings on an ad on TV. That's not how these studies are typically done. The wording also feels more like an advertisement for a university and not a job opportunity._ – S.

_Maybe they're trying to reach as many people as possible, and are looking for a younger crowd? _ -K. Even as she typed the words, they echoed through her uncomfortably.

_But why? I don't think it's an accident they aired immediately after a popular TV show during its season finale. Then there's the ethical debate. Also, how much of this is legal? Have you shown it to your dad? What's his opinion on its legality? –_ S.

_I don't know. He's working right now so I can't ask him_. – K.

_He went to work during a typhoon? _– S.

_No. He stayed and is using his laptop to access the police database to his work. The guy's dedicated to his job. -_K.

_I do think this lab is worth a closer look. I am curious about what it's all about. _-S. She was tapping away on her search bar, pulling the first page of results. There was the website itself of course, followed by its social media pages. Her search also delivered discussion threads and forums about everything Shoto had just mentioned; legal debates, ethical questions, questions, conversations about whether or not people were going to apply. Ignoring all of these and heading to the source, she followed the links to their official page. Mostly, it featured the details the commercial presented, but the questions went further in depth and gave more informed information. None of the usual scam flags were raised; the website was nicely designed. Sources and information was properly cited. The details explained the process that perhaps was more scientifically sound than the commercial featured, but easier enough for an average high school student to understand. Nails tapped, fingers expanded while Kairi wove over the information. Correct spelling, addresses and references cross-referenced to send back that the information posted was legitimate. Nothing on the website seemed inaccurate. Then what was it about the organization that felt off?

_Shoto, I'm not seeing anything that says this is illegal_. – K.

_Nor am I. Everything seems to be covered well. Then again, there are some very good scams out there._ – S.

_Maybe it's not actually a scam then? Perhaps it simply is the ethical question that makes this feel uncomfortable_. -K.

Was it unethical though? Several times she had begged her father to take her in to cut off her quirk and make her quirkless, but he wouldn't do so. For multiple reasons. It was incredibly rare for those with quirks to request their DNA be spliced to block the quirk to begin with, and then there was the issue with doctors refusing to do so unless it was an extremely dangerous quirk. It was also expensive since it wasn't usually considered a medical necessity. Mr. Hoshino also hadn't wanted to do it to his daughter as it was unheard of to be performed on children and teenagers. There was no telling how development would affect or be affected by such a procedure and with hers as powerful as it was, it may not even work. Would the psychological effects in the end be better or worse for her? That was another question they had tackled with doctors she had seen. In the end, they decided to wait until she was older and see how she felt then. Her feelings on it hadn't changed until recently when she joined Class 2-A. They were making her starting to feel okay for who she was, and she was slowly learning there was some control that could be had over her quirk. It hadn't exploded like it had previous, thanks much to her new friends recognizing and helping to keep her emotions from becoming too out of control. They had learned to respond to her and how to keep their minds sharp against her, while she was growing in learning how to settle her emotions. But if this new experiment could eliminate the struggle of the fight to do that all together...?

Was it truly unethical? If that's what people wanted, was creating synthetic quirks really so wrong? She could still be a hero. Her quirk could not only be eliminated, but _changed_. She could fight properly like her friends. She could be strong like her friends, like Shoto. Kairi could be the type of hero she longed to be, and people would cower in her presence anymore.

The jolt of her phone electrified her from her thoughts and she looked down to see three spaced messages from Shoto. Her brain had wandered and entirely missed his messages.

_Maybe it isn't but the ethical issues still need to be explored. Should quirks be made and should we be allowed to choose them? I can't imagine this technology is cheap. Would that create a divide between classes then and allow high classes to have powerful quirks while those naturally born with quirks might have lesser quirks? That would literally give power to those in power. That's a dangerous world to live in_. -S.

_I expected some sort of response to that. Isn't in depth conversation about justice implications an enjoyable past time for you? _-S.

_Kairi, are you simply ignoring me at this point_? _This seems to be important enough to be explored. Maybe it isn't a scam but I think the legality of it should be investigated more. Can you ask your father to look it over?_\- S.

_Did you get sucked into another show?_ -S.

_Sorry, sorry! Yes, I will have my father check it out and see what his opinion is. I didn't mean to ignore you my mind was just... lost. I don't want to bother him when he's working so I'll wait til he takes a break. It will probably be in about four hours honestly._ – K. The hanging light sporadically flickered overhead just as a wall of rain slapped against the window.

_ Scratch that. It may be sooner if we lose electricity. _– K.

_How are you going to survive without any electricity to watch your beloved TV shows? (smirking emoji) (laughing emoji) _– S.

_Excuse me, but I happen to have a lot of reading material too! _– K.

_What do you read that isn't fanfiction?_ – S.

Kairi replied to the conversation with a gif of a giraffe flapping its tongue before ignoring any other incoming messages and grabbing the rolled bag of chips on the couch. She ascended the steps that opened up into the living room and then cut to the other side where the kitchen was. Her father was tapping away before lowering the screen as Kairi entered.

"Riri, do you feel like making supper tonight?" he asked, keeping his focus. "I've just reopened this kidnapping case and there's a lot of details to go over tonight."

"Reopened?" Kairi asked, placing the clipped bag of chips into an open cupboard. "What case is this?"

"It wasn't originally mine. It was passed on from another precinct. The kidnapping happened three years ago."

"I'm sorry, Dad but if I remember right... aren't most kidnappings that aren't solved in the first weeks, or even less often, first few months... aren't they usually you know..." The urging silence filled in the word for her. Mr. Hoshino nodded numbly.

"Yes, but people will always hang onto that hope that they are alive, and why would I want to stomp on that? If anything happened to you, I would never stop looking." Her cheeks blossomed pink with her proud smile.

"Thanks, and I get that. But after three years don't you think you could take the night off from work? There's a typhoon right now, do you expect anyone to be committing crime out there right now or even have the energy to do something so nefarious? Besides I mean..." She flipped open the doors to the cupboards revealing mostly jars and flattened bags. "We have shit for groceries and I am not going to the store right now."

"Well, I guess we'll just fend for ourselves tonight." Her pupils flipped to the sky.

"As we've been doing for the last three nights..." she grumbled, a dark mood settling in her pit.

"Come on, Kairi," he said patiently as he drummed over the keys. "I'll cook tomorrow, I promise."

"I'm not mad about that, cooking is relaxing to me. It's just that I have had no time with you since I got back from the beach. I go back to school in a week. I'm proud your work is important to you, but you're pushing yourself a little bit. Come on, relax. This typhoon is the perfect opportunity to just kick back, play a game or watch a movie."

"You haven't been doing enough watching?" he snarked, irritated. Kairi's spine stiffened with her bite.

"Dad. It's a _typhoon_! What am I supposed to be doing?!"

"Homework?"

"I'm caught up on that! I've done my reading, and you can look through my tablet and notebooks if you want to see the work I've done! I've turned in my essays online and you can look at the receipts!" Mr. Hoshino fell forward and pinched the center of his forehead.

"Kairi, I have work, I can't be sitting here arguing with you! You can't be sitting around doing nothing watching TV all the damn time!"

"I don't, and you know I don't! You know I got caught up in all that shit in the past years because I had no one to hang out with, and nothing to do outside of homework! What was I supposed to do, play tag with myself? Shortest fucking game of tag ever, put it in the world record book!"

"You _really_ need to stop swearing so much too!"

"I don't even swear that much!"

"Look, I have had little sleep, little to eat-"

"Clearly," Kairi snapped harshly, and the bulge in his pupils immediately dropped her stomach. Her tone was incredibly disrespectful, and she knew she screwed up the second the word left her mouth. She was already propped against the counter, head aimed downwards in reverence to him. "I'm sorry! That was impulsive and stupid of me!"

"You know better than to talk to me like that," he told her slowly.

"I know!"

"I am working _hard_, Kairi. I want to earn us a paycheck, but it isn't just us, it's these families. This man claims his boyfriend has been gone for three years and hasn't been able to have a normal life since he was taken. He is constantly between hoping he is still out there but also knowing that's unlikely and he just wants closure. The man is likely dead, as you implied, but right now what this is about is closure. I am trying to give that, as much peace as I can give. People need _peace_ right now. All Might is no longer around to give them that."

"Where was All Might when he was taken then?" Kairi dared to ask slowly.

"He's still only one person, Kairi. He was never able to be everywhere at once and it wasn't like he was able to prevent crime 100% of the time. It still happened, and sometimes it went unresolved. It's just more frequent now. Look, I know you want to spend time together but I need to cram as much of this as I can. We will spend time together before you go back to school but this is important to me. Please do something productive with your time instead of TV."

"It's not like I've been cooped up watching everything all summer!" She snapped again, the implication in his last commented scraping against her nerves. He flashed her the warning eyes again. "I have been out more often this summer than I have been in the past! I went to the beach with my friends, I went to the mall with Momo and Tsu, Uraraka asked me to get ice cream with her and Iida and Izuku, I went shopping with the girls and Aoyama, I saw a movie with Momo and Aoyama and Shoto, I went to the amusement park with all of them, I have been so active this summer and you have barely even noticed because you've been caught up in all your damn work!"

"Since All Might's retirement, there's been a lot more on my plate!" he yelled, making her bones cringe. "Endeavor does what he can to stop crime, but when All Might was the number one hero, people were more discouraged to commit the crimes in the first place! That may not be his fault, but it's not as if it helps to make my work any easier! Which, by the way, if you're so concerned, why don't you talk to your Todoroki friend to see if he can fix it?!"

"It's not his responsibility!" Kairi screamed, drops sliding off the edges of her eyes. "He's a kid, Endeavor is an adult hero! Besides that, you think there's any sort of relationship between them beyond business!? Endeavor is an asshole, do you know-!"

"I don't want to hear about it!" he threw up his hand, completely dismissing anything she was about to say.

"Fine, then why don't you just burrow around in my mind to know everything I am thinking like all your other criminals?!" The chair squeaked as he kicked it from behind him, heavy boots falling against the floor as he approached and towered over her. Kairi swallowed and straightened her spine, begging her body to make her look taller and more confident than her trembling legs did.

"Because you are _not _a villain Kairi and you _know_ I don't use it on you unless it's important," he sneered. Though his words were kind, his tone didn't betray how upset he was with her. "I am sorry I haven't spent time with you and maybe I haven't given you credit for how much time you've spent outside the house. Despite your anxieties being out in public, despite how you fair in large crowds, and despite how you've struggled making friends in the past. But that doesn't negate how you interrupted my important work, work that I am doing because I think how I would feel if I lost you like that, and how I would want an officer to handle your case. I am trying to be a hero in my own way, just like you are trying to be a hero in your own way. Maybe there's more paperwork than yours. Maybe there's more glimmer to what you want to do, but what I am doing is still important. I am trying to better these people's lives. If you can't see that is worth all the time in the world, then what are you even doing at that academy, Kairi?" She shivered and while the guilt set in, it didn't completely vanish the quaking rage that still thrummed in her.

"But I should also be worth all the time in the world, Dad?" her voice shuddered. He swallowed tightly. Kairi pressed her hands against her leaking eyes. "All I wanted to come in here for was to tell you about this company I saw an advertisement for, and how something about it seemed off. Since you're all about law and justice right now, I thought maybe you would care to take a look."

"What's it called?"

"QuirKey Laboratories," she spat out, avoiding his eyes. "I'll leave you to your work now." She gestured for him to move and he stepped aside. Without so much as exchanging a look, Kairi shot from the kitchen clamored two steps at a time into her sparse bedroom. Her phone wheeled through her contacts under her direction, habit making her search for her mother's number. Amber eyes fell onto the wall, where the plaster disk that encased the dried pressed iris Shoto had given her on the survival exercise. A hand wiped against her nose as her mind zapped with realization. She didn't need to continue to turn to her mom for every small thing now. She had friends she could vent to. Friends who were more likely to take her side. Friends who would show more care and love than Tabitha ever would. Her finger hovered, then returned to her text messages. Shoto replied in moments that he was unable to speak because his father was about to take him into their training dojo. Chest splitting for a moment before she soothed herself with the reminder her friends had lives too, she went to the next most recent recipient of her messages. With the confirmation that she was indeed free, Kairi made a quick call.

"Hey Momo. Things just got intense with my dad and I and I just... need to talk to someone right now..."


	30. Questioning Thoughts

The weather had thankfully just begun to clear up right before the move back to school. Still dismal, the rain had lightened enough to allow the average umbrellas to be used. The tension relaxed in the Hoshino household, but she had continued to remain on edge. They tried to watch a movie, but he had been distracted by his blinking phone. They went grocery shopping together but the conversation had been stiff. Feeling awkward only made him feel more awkward, and then of course, as always, came that persistent guilt of her quirk effects. Kairi disappeared from the room he was in and instead chose to play games or talk with her friends, or any number of activities she typically did solo. Mr. Hoshino did speak once to repeat what Shoto had said – QuirKey did seem to raise a lot of ethical questions, but there didn't seem to be anything that trespassed the territory of the law. Naoko Hoshino asked her if she would like to know what those ethical disputes were but she refused any conversation, and returned to her room in the rainy weather. He drove her back to school. He gave her a hug, a kiss, and reminded her that no matter what he loved her. Kairi smiled softly at that before going back, and that was how things were left.

"He's just so tied up with work," she exhausted while Tsu and Momo stood around her desk. "His job has always been important but he's never been so... ignorant of my needs."

"It could have been the weather," Momo said. "Nobody is really happy about typhoon season except maybe photographers."

"Maybe he's just stressed because work has tripled since All Might's retirement," Tsu offered. Kairi nodded solemnly, tracing a finger in circles on the top of her desk.

"He said something like that," Kairi replied. "I thought the house would be easier this summer since my anxiety levels have been so much lower. I've been so much happier thanks to you guys and what with me being out of the house more, I haven't filled it with all my negative aura or whatever. But I guess that wasn't the case."

"That's just parents sometimes," Momo said. "Based on what you've said, this doesn't seem to be an issue often and I'm sure you'll get over it."

"Gooood morning ladies!" greeted the infamous purple haired perv as he slid into the room, proudly standing next to Kairi's desk. "I trust you had a good summer."

"It was fine," Momo said with squinting suspicion. Tsu crossed her arm and Kairi lined up her foot just in case she was in need of it.

"I enjoyed seeing the many posts you uploaded of the fun times you had this summer. I recall you all went to the beach?"

"Get to ever-so-witty quip about our anatomy, Mineta," Kairi growled, anger lying dormant but slowly opening one eye.

"I was just wondering; I'm sure there were far more pictures. Why deny the world all the fun you have had? There was a depressing shortage of beach photos. The concert looked like it was fun, but I think the rest of the class would enjoy seeing all the fun you had when you went swimming, maybe some of you made sandcastles or ran across the beach in your bathing suits." Kairi slowly raised her perfectly positioned foot.

"Before you continue any further with that comment, I would like you to turn your eyes to where my foot is positioned in accordance to you, Mineta." Worried eyes fell and then shook at the sight of her waiting foot pointed right at the center of his crotch. "How much fun do you think you would have with said pictures without, what I guess is your favorite body part?" Mineta quavered and yelp, darting behind the newly arrived Shoto who stood beside her desk.

"Um, hello?" he greeted.

"Todoroki, this girl is _terrifying_!" he whispered loudly. Kairi smirked and taunted with her waving foot. "How did you survive beach house this summer?"

"Because I didn't ask her to strip or try to touch her in anyway that she would have been uncomfortable with?" Shoto replied with a question that seemed to ask how that was hard to understand.

"How could you resist not to, have you seen the legs on that?!" He gasped, and looked straight at her face, seeing her narrowed eyes. "Todoroki, what did she look like in a swimsuit?!"

"Like a girl," he said, shrugging off the smaller boy.

"Yes, a _girl_ and not a _that_," Kairi hissed. "Just a reminder that Shoto is much more of a friend to me than he is to you and will not shield my foot from slamming into your dick."

"Eep!' Mineta immediately scurried over to his desk and then whistled with comical innocence.

"It begins..." Momo groaned, taking a moment to notice the glowering eyes from the girls around her. "What?"

"How did he even see those pictures?" Tsu asked.

"Okay, yes, he and I follow each other on Instagram! I'm the vice class rep though, I have to keep tabs on him!" Kairi's hands clasped her own face.

"Why don't you just have your dad come in and give a lesson on sexual harassment?" Shoto suggested. "I mean, of course, you would hope some of that would be common sense but considering what I know of your dad, he would do it for free in a heartbeat if he knew he was harassing you and the other girls."

"I know he would, but then I become the girl that needs her daddy to protect her when I'm supposed to be a hero and half of this school already hates me to begin with, and then he decides to pull me out because he doesn't think I'm safe here..." she moaned, shaking her head. "No. He seems terrified by me enough when I threaten him, and Mr. Aizawa at the very least seems to be catching onto his ridiculousness."

"Did your dad look into that lab?"

"Yes, said he all looks legal and the only thing that could be brought into question was grey ethics and morals, but if everything follows the law, there's nothing that can be done."

"Was that the QuirKey thing you mentioned?" Momo asked.

"Yep, I remember you saying something about that," Tsu agreed. "It did seem pretty fishy."

"So we just have to wait to see what comes out of it," Shoto said. "It's not what I would prefer, but if that's how it is. Did you patch things up?"

"I mean, we're okay now but I don't know. Things feel a little hurt and he's still working too much." Mr. Aizawa entered the room and the remaining standing students scurried back into their desks. The last to leave her desk, Kairi's eyes followed Shoto to his seat while Aizawa began the morning announcements. Her stomach did a strange sort of flip when he took to his spot.

"I expect you all had adequate time to discuss your adventures over the summer," he began in his firm tone that expected them to listen up and refused to repeat himself if any of them missed. "And that you were also proactive in strengthening your abilities and getting your work done." From the far side of the room, Momo's hand shot up in her corner. "Yes, Yaoyarozu?" She stood from her seat in order to be better seen.

"Mr. Aizawa, have you heard about this new QuirKey Laboratories that popped up over the summer?"

"I have." Kairi's eyes popped to the front of the room.

"What is your stance on the ethics of it?"

"Wouldn't this be best reserved for your ethics class?"

"It would, but I'm curious about your thoughts." Aizawa groaned and took a minute after his sigh.

"Sit," he commanded, and she took her seat. "QuirKey Laboratories is like every other great advancement in science. In the beginning, people protested and said they were messing with something unnatural. Do a quick search online and you will find many things that are commonplace today that once used to be controversial, especially in the world of science. On the one hand, allowing people to choose their quirk could grant too much power and could cause more havoc and create villains. However, it also gives the quirkless an opportunity to have quirks, or for people to remove dangerous quirks. Or quirks that are detrimental to their health or others. By giving quirks to the quirkless, they could be helping with some of the mental health issues some of the quirkless face."

"Are they stupid?!" Bakugo scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "Some idiot could overpower himself with powerful quirks and do some major damage to people and the world! I'm not supporting that!"

"But maybe this could really help out those who feel useless because they don't have a quirk," replied Izuku thoughtfully.

"Yeah, maybe we could have some more heroic talent and the world could be a safer place!" Uraraka chimed in proudly.

"Then again, it could completely backfire," Iida added in. "As you said, the quirks could be used for the wrong reasons. And with people selecting their quirks instead of being born with them, the world could have too much of one kind of quirk and not enough of another."

"Yeah, and that could greatly upset the balance of jobs and professions and crash the economy," Momo said.

"But imagine the possibilities it could bring in!" said the seemingly empty uniform that belonged to Hagakure.

"A person with several, powerful quirks who is untrained could be disastrous," Shoto said from the back. Kairi's eyes darted out around with each answer, conflict churning her gut. Every response was a good point, and her subtle desire to check out QuirKey was shifting in being lowered and raised.

"These, and more are all valid questions," Aizawa said. "That's the issue; both sides are raising some very good points. This is not the first time something like this has happened in hero history, or even human history. I also think it's too new to really debate something like this. More research, developments, surveys need to be done. And of course, as tests are performed and field research is performed, the scientists will collect the data. As limits are discovered and further discoveries made, that's when the public and hero community will weigh in to discuss the potential benefits and disadvantages. From that point, if the science continues and is implemented, the hope is rules and restrictions will be placed to limit who can get quirks, the caveats, and the reasons for them. That's how all science and medical research is done. I cannot form an opinion on this at this moment, but I suspect this will be a rousing debate in your ethics class. I expect it will be at least a couple of years before it's even brought to the public." Aizawa turned his back to the class, and indication he was done with the class.

"Does that mean I could get x-ray vision?" Mineta said not too quietly in class. An audible groan could be heard from the females in class while Kairi tried to ignore him. Her attention went back to Shoto. Her heart thumped, painfully, and her face warmed.

"I think it could be a good thing," Momo answered as Kairi lowered her tray onto the table in the cafeteria. "It could do a lot of good."

"It could also do a lot of bad," Shoto answered, holding a pair of chopsticks over a mound of rice on his tray. "With so much freedom to choose a quirk, and being able to have more than one, no person should have that much power. What if a villain sought that out?"

"In time, I am sure the science will work out the kinks, decide that a person can only have so many quirks, and they will have to pass some sort of test to prove they are responsible for having certain quirks," Iida answered before sipping some of his broth in his soup.

"That could help things," Uraraka said from beside Izuku. "However, didn't we learn about this same debate when quirks first started to appear? Scientists presented these same questions, asking what if evil people were born with quirks and used them for evil purposes? That's how quirk blocking was born as they tried to block off quirks and then developed a system to use them for good."

"But there's a difference between being born as something and that being a part of you versus seeking something out and having your DNA manipulated in order to be turned into some sort of weapon," Tsu said from the end. Kairi quietly bit into her fish fillet, letting the valid discussion roll around in her mind. "It's disgusting to tell someone they can't be a certain way just because they were born that way, but I'm not sure the same can be said about adding quirks just to make you more powerful."

"What about people who are quirkless?" Izuku asked. "You don't think they should be given a chance to be like everyone else?"

"Quirkless still have a place in this world," Shoto answered.

"Do they though?" Uraraka said, and Izuku looked at her with a dropped mouth. "No, I mean of course they deserve to have a place and be in it. I'm not saying they shouldn't be treated with respect and equally to anyone with a quirk. I'm saying the world tends to discriminate more against those without a quirk, and doesn't seem to be changing. For their benefit and health, maybe they should be allowed to seek out a quirk."

"Maybe instead the world should learn to be less prejudiced," Tsu responded, biting into a piece of bread. She quickly swallowed as Aoyama returned to table and took a seat next to Kairi. "You all caught what Mineta said. Would you trust him with an extra quirk of his own choosing?"

"I'm not sure the technology could ever be so advanced they could literally give you a quirk for anything," Momo said. "I'm saying it wouldn't have drawbacks, especially in the first few years. But they would evaluate the subject and decide if they are a candidate worthy of such a procedure. It wouldn't be them just picking anyone and allowing them to choose any quirk."

"How is it any more immoral that someone like Stain who was born with a quirk who could immobilize people by licking their blood?" Iida snapped. "It turned him into a killer."

"Because people could _choose_ to become Stain," Aoyama answered, surprisingly others at the table. Kairi drank her milk as quietly as she could.

"At least they will have made that choice rather being born with something they didn't want," Uraraka said. "And if they are doing evil, the heroes can catch them later and either imprison them or remove that quirk."

"There are people who could become great heroes who don't have a quirk," Izuku said. Kairi continued to sink further into herself as the conversation grew about QuirKey Laboratories. The idea of any random person choosing any quirk without any knowledge of who that person was or what they would do with it was terrifying. The points Shoto suggested made complete sense – people shouldn't have that much power, the ability to choose something that could be a dangerous weapon. But also, if anyone was unhappy with their quirk or without, and what they made them, wasn't it important to their health to give them to ability to change that? She scooped rice into her mouth, remaining silent as she considered her own thoughts, feeling conflicted on the issue. Truth was, her spirit leaned against it in fear of what it could be. However, her heart had longed for something that could change her quirk for the longest time. She knew she wouldn't abuse it, and for people like her, shouldn't it be an option? The chance to get rid of her quirk, _change it_, be someone else who could actually jump in the action and take down villains. Her chest relaxed with warm at the possibility of being able to do such a thing. She wouldn't have to worry about how she was influencing others, didn't have to watch her temper, stay her emotions, search for anything to calm her down. She would be just herself. Maybe she could replicate her father's quirk and finally truly know what people thought of her.

"It's not the same as cosmetic surgery," Aoyama said. "Cosmetic surgery changes you and only affects you." He waved his spoon dramatically while he spoke. "This would affect others."

"It isn't something that any person should be allowed to do," Kairi finally burst, rendering the rest of the table quiet. "Momo is right, based on previous scientific advancements, they probably would have you do several assessments to decide if you were a good candidate. But maybe there are people out there who hate what their quirk has made them and want to be something else. Someone else. Shouldn't they be allowed to change who they are in order to pull themselves out of some deep mental state?" There were some at the table who understand better than some of the others she was speaking from deep within her own life. Momo and Izuku looked at her with compassion. Shoto looked pensive, but his eyes were tilted with kindness. "Not every quirk is welcome, and not every quirk is good. Some are lucky. What about that man a few years ago who could look into rooms without having to move, and used it to look into the rooms of young girls? He was in his forties and he was using his quirk for something disgusting. He was so private, they didn't catch him for years. People already have quirks that are horrible and using them in horrible ways, how is this any different? At least with this system, they will have records to track it and can monitor them."

"Kairi, you're not..." Shoto began slowly.

"I am, but I can't because you need to be eighteen and my father never would let me so it's a moot point," she snarled quickly. "But imagine how much easier my life would be if I could have a more useful quirk." She shoveled the last of her food into her mouth and rose with her tray, fingers growing white as she gripped the sides. "I'll see you in class." Angered steps stomped onto the ground and refused to turn back. Shoto jumped up from his seat but Aoyama reached over, urging him to let her be. Kairi's shoulders shuddered as she returned her tray and stiffly followed her path back to the classroom.

* * *

***screams into the void*  
****INEEDADAYOFFOFWORK! I'm so tired... retail and the Christmas season... and errands almost every day...**

_**#needsadaytosleep12hours**_


	31. Heart Aches

There was something in Shoto's insistence to hang around her after the school day that was equal parts annoying, and also so endearing her soul lifted her and caused her to walk with pride. She didn't tell him no, and he even slowed his usual brisk walk to stay beside her. Kairi remained quiet as she waited for him to speak and counted how many seconds it would be before they were back at the dorm. 240 seconds. He had already wasted sixty seconds in silence.

"Are you upset with me?" he finally said. Kairi looked over to him, her body shivering strangely as her eyes followed the contour of his face.

"Because of lunch?" she snarled.

"That would be my guess, but I can also feel-"

"Yeah, that pesky little quirk of mine, wouldn't it be great if it were different?" she said with a fake grin. Irritation crossed his face, but only briefly.

"Kairi, everyone has moments when their quirk is inconvenient."

"Yes, but I don't exactly have control of mine, now do I?" she batted her eyelashes innocently. Shoto could visibly be seen swallowing roughly as a faint trace of pink touched his cheeks. His eyes fell to his walking feet quickly.

"You're getting better, though."

"What do you mean, I'm getting better? Seems like every time I get near some sort of emotional meltdown, it ripples to others. Do you remember at the amusement park how terrified I was when the roller coaster took that loop?"

"It was a roller coaster_, everyone_ screams. All the time."

"Every time I get on the subway, the chatter gets louder and people are less patient with each other. I have seen a couple of fights even get started."

"The subway is crowded and everyone is in a rush."

"Yeah, and I don't like crowds. So I get anxious and start freaking out inside, but then everyone else begins to panic and take it out on everyone else. That argument at lunch? That was because I was getting upset and everyone could feel it."

"Is this about you thinking you caused that argument?" Shoto asked, holding open the front door to the dorm and allowing her to enter first. She passed by without so much as a thank you. Her amber eyes tossed his direction, almost asking if he was really that stupid. Shoto's blank gaze flicked her chest and Kairi turned away quickly. Heat crept up her neck. A mild fear told her to avoid his eyes.

"No, I mean... I think I had something to do with that and I forever feel guilty." Discussion clamored into the gathering area as the other students entered the dorm behind them. "What else is new? But I feel... hurt, I guess. Did you really think such an opportunity wouldn't attract me?" She shuffled her bag off her shoulders, but held it at her side by the center strap. Shoto's grey and blue eyes dropped, shame weighing them down.

"I recognize I should have considered the possibility," he admitted. "I guess I thought maybe you were becoming okay with your quirk?"

"It might have some uses, but it's still an issue with other folk, still causes problems, and I think I could do better with a different kind of quirk. Mostly though, it's made me a bit of an issue for others and It's hard to get people to genuinely like me because of it, as my history has clearly shown."

"That's not the case for me." His easy response drummed through her and wavered the rhythm of her chest for a moment. A bright pink coated the rise of her cheeks as she grew small under the remark, said so plainly and firmly. Her skin prickled and she wrapped her arms in front of her as she stood in front of the steps. Body already feeling loose and jellylike, her foot kept missing the bottom step. Kairi's mind grew disjointed from reality as she swayed on her feet. Shoto threw out a hand that snatched her upper arm before she stumbled over her own foot.

"Was there rice wine in your lunch today?" he chuckled, a noise that ricocheted pleasantly through her. Her breath caught in her throat when his touched burned against her arm. She ripped her limb from him, shocked by the treatment he laid on her but hated the empty space it left. Her terrified mind zipped rapidly. "Look, if you're upset but what I said earlier, I'm sorry if what I said bothered you. It's true I may not have been considering how personal the issue may be to you."

"It's fine," she breathed out, though the dryness in her throat was catching. Kairi swallowed, trying to moisten her voice. Shoto's frown didn't leave him. Her heaves were becoming deeper as her face continued to rise with heat. Visibly, his neck tightened and he held his lips tight while his eyes searched. That hand fell to her upper arm again, the welcome burning returning to her. A silent squeak was felt in her chest. Kairi clutched her bag tight against her side.

"Seriously, Kairi, are you all right?" She nodded, and he looked at her doubtfully. Her chest thundered harder her free hand went to cover the sound, as if she could muffle it. "You're not... feeling anxious right now are you?"

"Uh, I don't know?" she whispered, trying to tame whatever was tensing up between her stomach and sternum. It was like being anxious, but something about it was just as exhilarating as it was frightening. "Maybe?"

"Come on," he whispered, and guided her in the direction of the girls' wing. She walked alongside him, silently willing her chest to stop that stubborn tripping and the erratic fluttering that was occurring in her stomach. As her skin continued to prickle with gooseflesh, Shoto kindly walked beside her with one hand lightly touching her shoulder. It warmed where his palm touched. Sweaty fingers dug through her bag for her keys and she opened the door, allowing him inside. Another beat against her chest, and she swallowed. It felt odd, having him in her room. Which itself was odd. Shoto had been in her dorm room a few times, and she had been in his. They were friends, that's what friends did – hang out in each other's rooms. "I know it's easier for you to calm down when someone is with you, but as always I am going to ask-"

"Yes, please stay," she responded automatically, familiar with the question. Her brow was still furrowed against her pale as her gaze fixated on the corner of her dorm room. "Though I... don't think I'm having an attack or anything. Maybe I am. I don't know. It at least doesn't feel like it normally does." Shoto puckered his lips as he thought hard. Kairi shivered and turned her back to him, not seeing the color that flourished in Shoto's face. Her stomach continued to somersault.

"Are you upset?" he asked in a low voice.

"About today?" she asked, still not looking at him as she threw her backpack on the bed.

"Listen, I... I wasn't thinking. That doesn't change my stance but..."

"Mr. Aizawa said it doesn't matter anyway. Even if the trials are successful it would be a few years til it was available to the public so it doesn't do anyone any good to discuss it until it's submitted to the public." She was trying to pushed the subject away from their discussion as her core continued to constrict. Her mind was pleading for Shoto to leave, but also thrilled he was standing behind her in her dorm room. A room he had been in alone with her about a dozen times up to that point, and never once had she felt as she did.

"But in a few years, if it was available, would you do it?"

"I guess that depends on how things go with me here, and if I am able to stop my emotional overspill." Hands pulled a couple of notebooks, a tablet, and a textbook from the darkness in her bag.

Sad eyes fell from Shoto, her own shock making Kairi look over to him. He looked different. Firm as he always looked, but something about his masculine features softened, the tender look in his eyes splitting Kairi in two. Her heart sped and she had to surrender the hold on her body and just sit on the edge of the bed, watching him. "I understand that your quirk isn't easy. I know you've struggled, still struggle. I'm sorry for the pain it's caused you."

"Shoto, you've already said-"

"I know," he interrupted, and then took the few steps to sit on the other side of the bed. Kairi sharply inhaled. Shoto stiffened and averted his eyes. "I am sorry if I seem ignorant to how you feel and don't consider what you may be thinking. I can feel your quirk and have come to assume I must always know what you're feeling based on that, but I also know that isn't how it works which makes it even worse. If you're angry, all I know is that you're angry, but not why. I shouldn't assume and I need to consider your feelings in everything. Even if I can feel them, it's still common courtesy to ask."

"Yeah, you ass," Kairi teased, reaching to lightly tap his arm. A quick shock stuck to her fingers and she pulled her hand back. As if to cover up the small action, she stole the plush elephant from her bed and pressed it to her lap. Shoto smirked, and her spirit was gone. Her stomach shut up through her stomach. Kairi collapsed into her core and reality faded at the sight of the smallest of smiles. His grey eye shone just as brightly as his blue one, dazzling as they fell onto her and only focused on her. She watched with lost fascination as the piece of red hair fell over his eye. Fixated, she followed the trail around his chin and appreciated how flawlessly it followed around his face, his smirk pulling a not oft seen brightness.

"I think your quirk is useful, and has given you gifts not many have. It's a part of you and I guess I think it's a shame to remove those gifts from you. It would make you a great rescue hero." _Kthump_. There went her chest again, aggressively. She clutched the elephant tighter to her. Shoto rested his fingers in his lap and fidgeted while his face grew redder. There was a strange tension building, something that seemed awkward but nothing felt truly unpleasant. It was always a delight to have Shoto hang around her, when they did work together or would watch something. This time, however... something felt different and odd. Like a beautiful panic was about to burst from her. It was uncomfortable, but she craved something about it.

"Th... anks," she slowly said, her brain reverbing his words back to her. The wording made it seem like he didn't want her quirk taken from the world, but his tone sounded as if it were addressed to her, as a person. "I'll... keep that in mind." He smiled again, freezing and boiling her just as his quirk did.

That damned musical chime ruined it all. She yelped at the sound her computer emitted, a cheery brill that demanded her attention. Kairi dropped the elephant onto the floor and rushed to her open laptop just as Shoto turned towards. Her eyes took a quick glance at the characters spelling out the title of the caller. She cried out and then slammed a finger on the button to decline the call. Relief dropped for a moment before it rang out again and her hand reacted to decline the call. "Just... one second." The text window popped up and her fingers flew across the keyboard to spell out a quick message: _Working on homework. Give me a sec._

"Kairi, why did that say 'Mom calling?'"

"Eh, it's a nickname for someone I know!" Kairi told him sheepishly. He raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Who? I know you occasionally speak to other fans of the stuff you like but I always thought that was more casual social media correspondence." The window popped up with a new message: _I only have a half hour before I have to go to work. We planned this two weeks ago._ Kairi hissed and looked over to Shoto. Her chest whimpered at the idea of him leaving. More so than it usually did. She wriggled uncomfortably, between her own feelings and the knowing glare Shoto was giving her.

"Shoto, just..." The computer trilled against, it's musical tone insisted. "Just... okay, yes it's my mom okay and I'll explain in a second, just..." Longing reaching for the computer as her potentially unhealthy yearning answered the call just as popped in a pair of nearby headphones. "If you're uncomfortable, you can leave." Her emotion desperately pushed out the next bit. "But you're more than willing to stay if you want!" Shoto furrowed his brow and rose from the bed. Pleading eyes watched the boy head to the door, her spirit beginning him to stay despite her mom on call on the other end. But then he turned his back and leaned against the door, nodding with his chin for her to proceed. Flushed, Kairi looked back at the screen to see her mother patiently tucking a light brown strand behind her hair. "Hi, Mom!"

"Your voice sounds shaky," she said. "Are you doing something you shouldn't?"

"Hello to you," she grumbled with a sigh. "What could I _possibly_ be doing?"

"Your face is flushed, are you drinking?" Kairi's eyes rolled, hard.

"_No_, Mom. My parents are _cops_, do you really think I would be drinking?" Shoto's eyebrows expressed a surprised interest in her words. Kairi's eyes shared an annoyed look with him.

"Well, a priest's child gets into the most trouble," she said.

"Mom, I go to the best hero school, and you think I would jeopardize that with underage drinking?"

"Okay, but that doesn't explain how flushed you look."

"I just got home, I was outside," Kairi sighed. It wasn't too much of a lie. She looked over to Shoto again, who was asking questions with his own expressions.

"No, no, you keep looking up over the computer." Her matching amber eyes expanded as she quickly pieced together the clues. "You wouldn't answer my call, you're flushed, you're looking at someone in the room – there's someone in the room and you were making out with them, weren't you?"

"_What?!_" Her squeak caused Shoto to wince. "I know your quirk is Perception, but I think you're using it in overdrive a bit because that is _ridiculous_!"

"No, I'm right, aren't I!" A strange pride stretched a smile onto her mother's face. "The mother part of me wants to tell you to actually do your work and stop these frivolous escapades, but I am not going to lie there's a part of me that-"

"Mom, Mom, Mother, no no no no no no..." Kairi almost laughed, hoping her insistence would cover the rapid vibration running through her and accelerating her pulse.

"All you had to do was say that you had someone over and I would have understood, but sweetie I must ask. If you're having sex-"

Terror ripped through Kairi and her hands flew to her earbuds, throwing them out and only seeing her mother continue to babble on whatever sort of traumatizing conversation she was not ready to have. It wasn't the first time her mother went on about things she may want to do as a teenager and it was always embarrassing. This time was completely horrifying even though Shoto couldn't hear it. Kairi mouthed "I'm so sorry, you don't have to be here!" to him. Just then, her mother was gesturing to the camera and then pointing at her own ears, demanding Kairi put her earbuds back on. Slowly, fingers picked up the black beads and pushed them against her ears, looking defeatedly at the camera.

"Look, I'll leave if you want to get back to what you were doing..." The way the sentence hung seemed to indicate the very impression of what she thought she was doing. "Though I do think sixteen is a bit young if I am honest."

"Not sixteen yet, mom..." Kairi groaned. Her heart deflated. "And it's not that, okay? I just have a friend here who was concerned about my wellbeing. That's all."

"That doesn't explain why you're flushed."

"I have emotional issues all over the place, I get red faced for everything under the sun, who knows what's going on with me?"

"Well, okay, we'll catch up next month then if you're truly busy. Who is it, by the way?"

"It's... Shoto," Kairi said. Shoto appeared smug. Her mother propped up with interest.

"The Todoroki boy you saved?"

"Yeah, that friend I told you about."

"All right, call me next month then," she breathed, though she didn't seem too happy about it.

"Okay, I'll see you then." Her mother waved. "I lo-" The screen disappeared before the words could come out. Kairi's heart fell with them. "-ve you..." Slowly, hands reached to close the front of the laptop. The girl slumped dejectedly into her chair, and fingers rolled around each other absentmindedly. The air thickened with silence before Shoto removed himself from the door and placed a hand onto Kairi's back. The hand elicited a sharp gasp from her and then dropped pleased sigh. His hand warmed a tingle down her spine. She settled against his touch.

"I thought you didn't have contact with your mother."

"I said we were distant, which is... technically true. But we have a video call once a month and regularly message each other. She gets excited when I do something 'normal' or when I do something that gets me praised. After I saved you and it was all over the news, I was getting so many messages about how proud she was of me and she said she loved me more times then than she ever had in her life."

"That doesn't sound like she's really proud of you," Shoto frowned. "Just the things that make her look good."

"But her need for contact, how she gets upset when I don't respond... that's got to mean she cares, right? I mean she must love me."

"Perhaps in a way... not the way you deserve to be though." His words fluttered through her painfully. "I'm not sure this is healthy."

"No," she agreed, her body turning ever so slightly to mildly lean against his comforting arms. "But she's my mom. I can't just cut contact with her." He pursed his lips but didn't say a word.

"So what are you freaking out about?"

"Remember that her quirk is perception, however she can also jump to conclusions."

"Yes?"

"Apparently my unwillingness to talk, my flushed face, and the fact I kept looking over to you must have been I was in the middle of going at it hot and heavy with someone." He awkwardly coughed, face flushing deeper than hers. Kairi snorted and rolled her eyes in camaraderie.

"Yeah, with all your figures of your beloved fictional lovers."

"Hey, you don't know, I might have done that." Traumatized eyes looked at the line of her collection and jerked away to a blank spot on the wall. Kairi chortled, the bubbling euphoria bumping in her gut. It help the alleviate the awkward tension she had been feeling, even if she didn't understand why such an uncomfortable pleasantness existed.

"I suspect you're feeling better," he said quickly. "If you're all right with it, I'm going to head back over to my dorm."

"Yeah that's fine, I'm okay now." He pulled the doorknob and stepped halfway out the door.

"I'm serious, Kairi. If your mom isn't giving you the attention you deserve, I do think it's best you cut her away. Ultimately it's your family and your decision, and it isn't my place to tell you what to do but..." He turned over his shoulder and looked at her softly. A look that zinged through Kairi with painful conviction and blessed tenderness. "You're too good of a person and you don't deserve to be mistreated like that." Shoto disappeared behind the door and Kairi was left in her silence, with her mess of feelings sitting in her lap. Her heart ached with sadness at Shoto's leaving but the awkward intensity left with him. She stared at the cover of her laptop, tracing the trim of the logo on its back.

What was going on with her?


	32. Best Friend

The blackboard clacked as Ms. Kayama tapped the piece of chalk against it, writing out another piece of important information Kairi should be writing down. Her attention was only half on the lesson and more focused on the addicting sickness that hadn't left her gut. It had disappeared some after Shoto had left and seemed completely gone when Momo had to bang against her door to wake her up again. With only time to grab a rice ball, she rushed out the door and didn't even think about the feeling. She waved to Tsu and Uraraka, gave Izuku and Iida a few smiles while Aoyama entered "fashionably late" as he declared. Shoto gave her his usual good morning grin he had reserved for her and that pesky sensation slammed right back into her. Grating and gnawing, thrilling and ecstatic, it was such an odd feeling. What kind of sickness made anyone _enjoy_ its feeling? Was it kind of like how being a vampire was completely awful and dreadful but also made you live forever, never have to sleep, and in some versions made you a completely irresistible lover?

Ruling out the possibility of turning into anything like a vampire, Kairi slumped in her own irritation as Ms. Kayama went on about some fancy mixed style of art that was often used to highlight heroes in paintings, while making sure the background was softer in order to emphasis the importance of the hero. Beyond those basics, she couldn't recall her words and even her usual quaint and neat handwriting was sloppy and unreadable. Eyes kept flicking over to Shoto, who drummed fingers impatiently over his desk. He leaned against his other hand, balled under his chin. Unusual. He was often so attentive in class but today he looked either bored or agitated by something. Likely, he felt her stare because he gave her a glowing smirk. A smirk that leapt through her and slipped a smile onto her lips. Kairi looked back down at her paper, trying to make sense of the scribbles she had made. Restless and trying to find anything to distract her from the strangeness happening in her, she scanned the room. As always, Mineta was practically falling out of his seat with a dribble of drool hanging from the side of his mouth. Modern Hero Art History was his "favorite" class. Of course, he didn't give a shit about art, but rather the teacher up front. Provocatively dressed in a skintight suit that somehow still met professional standards despite the leather corset that split between her breasts and only added to her already curvaceous form, it wasn't uncommon to see many an adult or hormonal teenager lusting over her. Many had gotten used to her by then and treated her with respect and like any other person, but there were still a few who made known their fantasies about her. Mineta, of course, was one of these people. Occasionally, she would make some sort of comment in class that could easily be misconstrued as suggestive. Kairi would slink away in her seat, avoiding the comment that such a remark, even if the suit was necessary for her quirk, was problematic. However, Ms. Kayama, or Midnight as the public knew her, was actually a good teacher, a kind and caring person, even if the little rise she got out of people for making mildly suggestive remarks was potentially problematic.

It wasn't just Mineta who appeared distracted, though no one else had their tongues lolling out of their mouths. Momo was sighing wistfully into an unknown corner and Iida – Iida of all people – appeared as if his eyes were somewhere distant. Ashido covered up gentle giggles with coughs and was looking down into her lap, books poorly hiding the sight of her phone in her lap. Kaminari continued to squirm in his seat, occasionally looking up at the time on the wall. Kirishima's gaze subtly looked over to Bakugo who was fuming more than usual. Izuku and Uraraka were playing the game of looking over at each other before blushing and turning away. Aoyama sighed dramatically. Everyone seemed agitated or lost in their own world. Concerned, the uncomfortable fluttering rolled into something much more upsetting.

"I'm sorry, is there something going on in the class today?" Ms. Kayama finally asked, turning from the board with a scowl behind her linear crimson eye mask. She pressed her crossed arms against her large bosom, her domineering glare striking arrows throughout the class. Koda turned in his seat, looking around at the agitated class, and then shrugged silently.

"There does seem to be a strange atmosphere going on," Jiro mumbled. Kairi swallowed and ducked lowly, tapping her fingers against her thigh. She felt Shoto's gaze burning into her. From the apex of her eye, she caught him looking over worriedly. Embarrassed, she continued to slide down though she could feel a glow in her soul.

"Yeah... Midnight seems exceptionally beautiful today..." Mineta stammered, as if he had been drugged by something that left him a little silly. Dazed eyes looked out at her, and she gave him a cheeky smile.

"Aren't you a sweetie?" she cooed with a wink. Kairi rolled her eyes at the inappropriate action.

"Ms. Kayama is your teacher and should be treated with respect!" Iida called from his spot. An extended finger adjusted his glasses against his nose. "However, Ms. Kayama is correct. I regret that my mind has wandered several times during this class and I am disappointed to have allowed myself to daydream so much." Kayama clacked her tongue.

"Such a naughty boy, Iida. And so unlike you! It's refreshing to see that you can be a little rebel."

"I assure you, once I can get my head right, it won't happen again."

"Yeah, I'm struggling to focus as well," Kaminari said. "I can't stop thinking about some of the pretty girls in this school!" Several faces in the class reddened at his words, as some of the students seem to come to some similar conclusions about different folk of different genders and sexes.

"Huh... Yeah, normally I can dissociate my mind from someone I might find attractive while I'm in class but today it's... rather difficult," Momo spoke up.

"Hmm," Kayama mused, eyes rolling over the class with suspicion. They slowly traced over the heads and lingered on top of Kairi. Her skin prickled under her gaze, feeling exposed and targeted. Ms. Kayama smirked in an odd, whimsical way. "Well I suggest you put away whatever drama or issue you're facing in the class and direct your attention to focusing." With elaborate flawlessness, she whipped herself around so her silky flow of black spun in an attractive manner. Mineta dreamily leaned against his desk, no issues with him tearing his eyes away from the front. Most of the class still seemed restless, but kept their eyes ahead. A few, however, seemed to understand the change of atmosphere. Even if the feeling was different, it wasn't uncommon for a change.

Iida straightened himself in his seat, though his wandering eyes kept trying to look back in Kairi's direction. Kairi looked away from Tsu who turned in her direction with a question raised on her eyebrows. Momo, looked over to her with concern. She caught Aoyama looking her way, appearing knowingly amused. Shoto looked down in his lap, a universal sign a student was typing on their phone. Odd, he never did that.

Her bag hummed. While she didn't make it a habit to reach for her phone in class, connecting Shoto's action to her phone asking for her attention gave her the assumption he had messaged her. An urgent hand swiped her phone from the bag, fire excitedly flying from her fingertips as desperation unlocked her device. As suspected, she had received a new message from Shoto.

_This is because of your quirk, isn't it? Are you all right? You haven't seemed right the last couple of days. Did your mother say something to upset you?_ -S.

The concern swept through her, billowing liquid warmth through her center. Her lips turned involuntarily, finding contentment in the message. She quickly tapped back.

_I'm okay, I think. I sometimes get weird emotions I don't understand and I'm sure it's much the same. Sorry for being a disturbance._ – K.

She tucked her phone away and put it on complete silence so her mind wouldn't steal away to rocking her more emotionally. Eventually, her mind emptied enough that her focus became the forefront and the class stopped much of their twitching. Kairi kept her eyes away from her friends, away from Shoto. Knowing that if she caught their glance, that guilt would come back and could disrupt class. Fear was also kept at bay, as she considered how this happened in her last class. It had taken longer and the emotion was depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Amongst her new peers, thankfully, those emotions were decreasing a little. Mostly the loneliness, which was helping with the weight of the other two. However, whatever she was feeling now could disrupt her whole dynamic. Shoving it aside, remembering to Focus, she paid attention. After several moments, her notes return to a mostly legible form and only the mild simmer in the room gave away her feelings.

"Hey!" howled Bakugo, like many other days. They had finally been released for lunch so the students were mingling through the hall. As usual, Kairi blocked her ears from the sounds Bakugo was making. He often avoided her or would just make a short, snide remark with a glare. He wasn't a fan of her, but avoided her more than he did Izuku. Today, however, he was stalking her down til he slid in front of her and blocked her path with an arm, slamming a hand against the wall. A fire burned in Kairi as her nostrils widened with instant rage. She winced angrily at him, the strap of her bag sliding off her arm til it collapsed against the floor. "What the hell is going on?"

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, broiling.

"I've dealt with you the days you've been sad and it's kinda pissed me off and I haven't said anything about it! I ignored the days you were angry even though it was annoying as well! Thankfully you usually have the sense and ability to turn off all that shit in class and focus on the lesson, so I haven't said anything! But what the hell is this?!" he snapped, chomping teeth just inches from her face. She grimaced and turned herself from him, trying to wriggle from the angered hold against the wall.

"Yeah, so I feel a little off lately. It will pass," she barked. Just as she was about to turn from him and slip under his arm, he pounded his other arm against the wall, the sound reverbing through her form. It ignited a spark in her, wrinkling a scornful scowl onto her face. "Oh for fu-"

"I don't accept that! What shit are you pulling here, Hoshino?!"

"Let her go right now, Bakugo," Iida growled lowly, lips pressed in patient anger. "You don't cage a lady!"

"Yeah?! Can you really call her a lady? Seems less like a person and more like a diabolical beast to me!" he spat.

"You can't expect her to control how she feels!" Momo shouted, appearing behind Iida.

"You're just pissed off because you hate how her emotions make you feel," Ashido bit back with a snarky grin.

"Shut up!" Bakugo yelled behind him. "I want to know what the hell is going on and why I'm being forced to be feel so strange!" That redhead Kirishima poured out of the classroom then, not hesitating in appearing behind Bakugo and clapping him on his shoulder.

"Hey, come on, Bakugo," he said to him calmly. "It really isn't manly to pin a girl against the wall."

"How about you shut up and walk away..." Bakugo said slowly. Kairi took this brief moment of distraction to throw up a fist and try to knock the arm out of the way that held her against the wall. Instead his arm flew away and landed back to her, this time clutching a hold of her wrist. He hissed through his teeth and slammed her arm into the wall. "I want answers! What the fuck am I feeling, because it's really pissing me off!" Through her teeth, spit squirt in several directions, splattering over his cheeks and eyes. He shouted, enraged. His other hand clamped down her other wrist, both of her arms unable to break free from his hold.

"I'm going to get a teacher!" Iida shouted, utilizing the speed of his legs to run back into a classroom. He had only just left when an instant ice spike flung Bakugo back, sending him sliding against the floor. Kairi drew away from the wall and ran over to where Shoto was standing, his right arm held out in front of him. She wrung her hands around her wrists, heart pumping through them as she steadied her breath.

"You bastard!" Bakugo yelled, jumping back up. "You want to do this, right here and now?!"

"Not really," Shoto said coolly. "But Kairi doesn't have the physical strength you do. In pure combat, it would be an unfair fight. Especially when she did nothing to warrant the attack. Plus, fighting is against school policy unless it's in a training setting."

"How do you know she isn't doing this on purpose?!"

"Because I know Kairi," Shoto said. Her chest thumped again, as she looked over his features. The way he stood, still holding his arm in preparation to defend, instinctively moving himself in front of Kairi. "Control of her quirk is the thing she wants the most. In addition to her desire to never emotionally traumatize a person, not even her worst enemy, she's incredibly private. She doesn't like people knowing her deep feelings and would rather hide them from the rest of the world. She would rather lobotomize her quirk and live quirkless than spend another minute with her quirk effecting another person. However, I am biased and am grateful for her quirk. I wouldn't be here if she wasn't emotional and acted on it without thinking." Her palms, now sticky with heat clenched tight at her sides. Her jaw was held taut as a whirlwind slammed against her chest cavity and begged her to flee the scene and hide. Heart bursting out of her, arms quaked with a need to hold him close to her, take in his scent and listen to him speak til day's end and into the night. His eye glimmered like silver while she lost herself in the ocean of the other one. He was always thinking of her, reminding her she was worthy of so many things, he appreciated her and was always the one who was there to tend to her when things became too much. He never dismissed it or considered her weak. He had taken time to learn what she needed and how to be what she needed, and she knew she could rely on him. Even now, he was coming to her defense when he could have just kept walking. He was so kind, one of the greatest people she had known. Kairi felt warm as she recollected her memories and thoughts about him. He really was a fabulous friend.

"You can't tell me you don't feel her emotions!"

"I do, but unlike you, I can handle them. Honestly, I don't even understand why whatever she's giving off is such an issue for you. I can't really tell much of a difference except in how restless everyone else and how agitated she seems." Kairi turned up to him with confusion. He couldn't read her emotion?

"Of course, leave it to you, coming to her rescue!" Bakugo spit. "What, because she saved your pathetic life once you owe her?! Is that why you feel the need to hang around someone as dangerous as her?!"

"True, I do feel I owe her something." Kairi's heart sunk, shattering with gloom. Was that the only reason he had been spending any time with her? "But not just for that, and that's not the only reason why. Kairi also happens to be my best friend and I don't take kindly to people hurting people I care about."

Her soul grew wings, flitting around ecstatically as the energy caused her emotions to clatter against everything. _Best friend?_

Bakugo relaxed his stance and turned to face the ground, just as the hurried scuffle of feet came behind them. Iida arrived behind them, and All Might was close behind, looking over the small crowd that had gathered between Bakugo, Kairi, and Shoto.

"What is happening here?" he asked cautiously, eyes piecing together the situation.

"It's fine, we settled it," Bakugo grumbled.

"Uh, that didn't feel like settling it!" Kairi barked. All Might walked between them and held out his arms between them. He gestured to the small group of students that gathered.

"Go to lunch, all of you. You three, stay." Slovenly, the gathered crowd split apart, mumbling to themselves and whispering theories about what was happening and what was going to happen. When the hallway had cleared, All Might looked down at them, sunken eyes assessing each one of them. "You know there is no fighting on schoolgrounds outside of the training ring."

"With all due respect, All Might," Shoto said. "Kairi wasn't fighting. Just trying to escape. Bakugo had her pinned against a wall."

"She may not have been fighting, but what she was doing is still an assault-!" Bakugo yelled. All Might held out a hand.

"Save it for Principal Nezu's office," he interrupted, and turned, expecting them to follow. Shoto stepped between Kairi and Bakugo as they walked, shielding them from their vengeful eyes towards each other. As much as anger continued to broil in Kairi, as much as she burned with a desire to beat Bakugo into the ground, her spirit was twirled and flitting on a wave of euphoria and sparking with delight.

Shoto had called her his best friend, something no one had ever claimed her to be. Words that had never been addressed in her on conjunction with her, and he had meant it, about her. He had prevented Bakugo from laying into her, he had spoken up in her defense and didn't hesitate in coming to her aid. She should be dancing on her joy, laughing with glee. And she was. She was proud, overjoyed, excited for such a new and adventurous chapter of her life. Something undiscovered, something that any other kid seemed to have.

It wasn't the idea of getting into trouble, it wasn't the act of meeting with Principal Nezu. But still, there was something so depressing about being his best friend. As happy as it made her, it also hurt. Bakugo's exasperated growl told her that he could feel the deep splice through her heart as well.


	33. Crushed and Confused

**Thanks so much for all the love you have been showing. I'm glad several people are enjoying this story!**

* * *

There was a huge gap between Bakugo and Shoto's chair before the principal, Kairi seated close to the other side of Shoto. She kept eyes on her hands while she picked at her nails, preventing herself from looking up. Shoto looked to her again, waiting for her to answer to avoid speaking for her. Except she remained silent once again, and looked more interested in her feet.

"Well, Miss Hoshino is far from being a trouble-maker," Nezu said with a smile. "Bakugo, what was it about Hoshino's quirk overspill that upset you?"

"What about it _isn't _offensive?" he snarled, but the look Nezu gave him was enough to settle his voice a little. "It's a violation, making me feel things I don't want to feel. It's manipulation, it's almost like brainwashing!"

"This isn't the first time you've been in here for an incident like this," Nezu said kindly, relaxing his gaze with Kairi. She shook her head. "But it doesn't sound like its one of the usual suspects, does it?" She quietly swung her leg as Aizawa stood in the corner of the room, keeping his gaze on Kairi to erase her quirk's effects. The room waited.

"She said she couldn't quite identify the feeling, sir," Shoto replied when she refused to answer. Nezu sipped loudly on his teacup before relaxing against his chair, pushing his paws together.

"Well, you should have felt it too," he finally said, calmly. "What were you feeling? Can you describe it?" Shoto shrugged.

"I... don't know that I could. I didn't feel any different than when I woke up this morning." Kairi raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's bullshit," Bakugo said lowly. "There is no way you didn't feel that. Her projection of her emotions was especially strong today."

"That doesn't make sense," Kairi finally said softly, causing the room to turn to her. "You should have felt it. And you claimed to be my b... best friend. You should feel it stronger than anyone else in the room." Shoto shrugged.

"I don't feel a change in my emotions."

"It's possible that Todoroki has developed the ability to block out her quirk," Aizawa offered, keeping his eyes on Kairi. "It wouldn't be a surprise. If they hang out around each other outside as often as they give the impression to, he might have learned to become familiar and comfortable enough to the point where he knows how to block it out."

"Is that true?" Kairi asked, leaning over her chair.

"I don't think so," Shoto dismissed. "I felt her anger when she got mad at Bakugo. It was more intense than her usual anger is. I felt her disappointed and hurt when we walked here. Unsure why, as it wasn't her fault. But I didn't feel whatever Bakugo is talking about, or whatever it is that had the class agitated."

"Are you an idiot?" Bakugo growled, turning to glare over at Shoto. "How could you not?!"

"Let's not fight about this!" Nezu intervened brightly, a smile still on his face. "Teenagers are often dealing with many emotions, some of them new, so it really is no surprise that you are unable to name whatever emotion you are having. However, according to what Mr. Aizawa and your other teachers told me today – while the class did appear to be a little on edge there seemed to be disputes or arguments regarding the issue."

"You're telling me I'm the only one bothered by this?!" Bakugo snarled.

"Ah, yes it would appear to be that for the moment," Nezu said sympathetically. "I understand it doesn't help that Hoshino has no idea what she is feeling. Once you do, perhaps we can proceed. In the meantime, I suggest Bakugo and Hoshino stay away from each other."

"I have no problem with that," Kairi said dryly. Bakugo huffed.

"However..." Nezu glowered, looking over the three students darkly. "Based on the stories all three – or two of you- shared, they all seemed to line up. It sounds as if Kairi was only trying to break away from Bakugo. You will receive no punishment at this time."

"What?!" scowled Bakugo.

"However, Todoroki and Bakugo did violate the rules. Todoroki was only trying to protect his friend and sought to push him away rather than hurt him. Nonetheless he still engaged in reckless behavior on schoolgrounds and will receive detention for a week. Bakugo, you were violent and did so unprovoked. You will receive detention for two weeks, and another offense will get you suspended for a week. Enough offense is liable to get you expelled. So I suggest you control your temper and save the fighting for the training grounds." The darkness left the small creature and he was cheerful again, holding out his arms triumphantly. "You are dismissed! Enjoy your lunch!"

Grumbling, the blonde kid reached for his bag and trudged out of the room. Kairi rose just as Aizawa was blinking and reached for a small bottle on his person. Shoto shot out his arm, stopping her.

"You should probably give us some distance." Kairi nodded, and waited for the footsteps to diminish. Finally, Shoto nodded and the two of them gave their thanks before shutting the door to the office behind them. Nezu sighed and leaned against his chair.

"You know exactly what's going on, don't you?" Nezu said to the teacher in the corner as he cradled his tea.

"Of course I do," Aizawa said, holding the eyedrop bottle over his iris. He blinked rapidly. "We've watched crushes develop between students more than once over the years. It's just as we always do – stay out of it and let things develop as they will unless it becomes a disturbance or danger to any party."

"Yes, but I do fear what this could mean for her quirk," Nezu stated worriedly. "The fact she seems to truly have no idea what is happening tells me this is the first time this has happened to her."

"Also not unusual," Aizawa said, and crossed his arms. "But you're right about the problem this could pose. Teenagers already are dealing with raging hormones and the overspill of her feelings could mimic an increase in those feelings. Kids might become distracted, not pay attention in class. That could effect both their grades and their abilities in training, stunting their hero training."

"Not to mention the rivalries that it could form, jealousy – both from friendships and potential untrustworthiness. Something so wonderful and seeming so innocent could bring about so much pain. Sad, really."

"What are you suggesting, Nezu?"

"Of course, we don't want discourage anything between them. We don't want them to think we're against any romance blossoming between students, or that we think it's a terrible thing. In fact, it's a lovely thing! Romance between heroes could potentially expose some weaknesses, but it can also provide strength. But I think they should at least be made aware of things that could happen."

"Health class took care of the sex ed last year, Nezu," Aizawa dismissed quickly.

"No, no, I am not talking about that! Of course, perhaps that is worth revisiting. I am simply talking about a friendly discussion about what dating could mean for heroes in training. The responsibilities, the dangers, but also the possibilities it could open and how love can be a huge motivator and expose more heroics in us we didn't know we had!" He smiled wistfully, as if remembering something from long ago. "Don't you recall a young romance and how it made you feel like you could do anything?"

"I'm not having this conversation."

"Well, you will be. We should have a meeting about this. Next week, I would like every homeroom to have such a discussion with their class."

"I am_ not_ having that discussion with my class, Nezu!" His eyes glinted a warning to his administrator. Nezu innocently sipped at his teacup, unwavering from his position.

"Fine, I'll have Nemuri do it in each class." Aizawa swallowed, harshly.

"Fine, I'll do it." His groan was evident of his reluctance on the manner.

"Remember, Shota. Do not discourage it. Just allow it to naturally occur how it will, and only intervene to prevent any disturbances." With a disturbing grin, the principal spun proudly in his seat. Aizawa moaned in distress before he left the principal's office.

"So you got off scot-free but Todoroki needs to have detention for a week?" Iida clarified after swallowing a piece of egg. Kairi pushed around a piece of broccoli on her tray. "While I can't argue with their policy, I agree that if you hadn't intervened, Hoshino could have been crushed to pieces."

"What's his deal anyway?" Momo asked, twirling her chopsticks over a bowl in front of her. "It's like he's had it out for Kairi the moment he met her. First he permanently scars her elbow and then he almost crushes her in the hallway."

"Bakugo has always been pretty agitated," Tsu reminded, her tongue lapping up a pork cutlet.

"It seems like Kairi makes him more aggressive though," Shoto said before he bit off a piece of bread.

"That's because when we first met he felt offended by my quirk. Which made me angry. And then he felt my anger which only made him angrier... and then it snowballed and basically I can't stand him and any moment I see him I get mad. Which makes him madder than he already is, plus he thinks my quirk is a violation and then..." She spread out her arms, as if displaying the already current situation. "Basically, I enhance his already present anger. It's happened before, a couple of fights were started because of me. This is what I was saying though, when I said my quirk would cause issues. Unless there was a perfect classroom with pleasant people, no one could handle me. I'm surprised it's taken this long if I'm honest."

"You really don't know what is you're feeling?" Izuku asked, leaning over the table slightly to listen better.

"Not really? I mean... you all felt it, right? For some reason, Shoto says he couldn't but you felt it? What do you think it was?" Momo gasped as if she were about to say something, but then her face reddened. Iida averted his eyes and paid close attention to his food. Izuku and Uraraka looked away from each other and much of the table turned a deep red. Only Shoto, Kairi, and Aoyama remained unembarrassed. And Aoyama simply looked across the table smugly.

"No idea, if I'm honest," Momo laughed.

"I didn't really feel anything," Uraraka said.

"Confused me too," added Izuku.

"I was too focused on the lesson," said Iida.

"It was too strange to name," said Tsu quietly.

"No one knows?" Kairi squeaked, the amber in her eyes bulging. "Am I really that weird? Am I really sick or something?!"

"Trust me, you're perfectly fine," Aoyama said quietly, neatly padding at the sides of his lips with a napkin. "There's nothing abnormal about your feelings."

"Thanks, Aoyama but... wait do you know?" Kairi asked, stretching across the table. He simply shrugged and held out a pinkie as he sipped at his milk. "Aoyama!"

"I can't say, but I do believe you will figure it out in due time," he said dreamily. "You're intelligent and more in tune to your feelings than anyone in class." A smile filled her cheeks.

"Aww, thanks Aoyama." She slipped back into her seat beside Shoto and relaxed a little as she shoved more of her lunch into her mouth. Shoto paused mid swallow and zoned his expression onto the dark blue purple splotches that ran over Kairi's wrists. He wrinkled his brow and paused before finishing swallowing.

"Do you need to go to the infirmary and have those checked out?" he asked lowly.

"Hmm?" she turned her wrists and licked at a crumb hanging on her lip. Shoto reddened and looked away. "They're just bruises, nothing to be done about them."

"But Recovery Girl could make them go away faster."

"They're just bruises, they'll be fine. You already did your part anyway. Which, by the way, thank you."

"How about emotionally, are you all right?" Kairi scoffed between laughs.

"I'm never emotionally okay, but no, the event hasn't scarred me any worse than I already am." The darkness in her answered awkwardly silenced the table as they focused more on their trays of food. Shoto also fell into silence. Kairi reached for her phone, tapping out a message.

_Did you mean that, by the way? _– K.

Shoto's bag pinged then. While Izuku began a conversation that brought life back to the table, he reached for his phone, a sliver of a grin appearing on his face when he looked at his phone.

_Mean what? _– S.

_About me being your best friend_. -K

_Of course I did. Why would I said it and not mean it?_ – S.

_I just never had one. I never even really had a friend so a best friend is basically a cryptid to me._ -K.

_Well, here I am, your personal Loch Ness Monster_. -S.

_Yeah, monster's about right. -K._

_ If I'm a cryptid, you can't prove that I am_. -S.

Kairi giggled and tucked away her phone for the moment. Shoto looked over to her and rolled his eyes with a simmering chuckle before returning to his food. Feeling warm and relaxed, the mood at the table eased. Tsu began discussion about their next assignment, lending to some interesting responses and grievances from the table. The talk seemed to fade out into a distant warble to Kairi, as the only thing in the room that seemed to shine brighter and stand out over anything else was the smallest of smirks Shoto gave, right in her direction.

Aoyama ate silently, a knowing smile growing back onto his expression.


	34. Deeper and Closer

That strange funny sickness seemed to enjoy coming and going. Over the next couple of days, the class seemed to learn to ignore it for the most part, even if they remained somewhat restless. It was much like the hiccups – annoying and nearly painful at first but eventually she got to the point where she found herself used to it and pushed it out of her mind in class. It was there, of course, often present. There were times when it seemed as if it was gone completely and she was her normal self. She focused, and her class did. Bakugo gave her dirty looks more often but avoided her. Walking in the halls with her friends, doing her homework, sitting at lunch; these were all moments she didn't seem to be bothered by whatever was going on. Once she forced herself to become deeply invested in a subject, she could focus in class and felt normal. The next couple of days, she wasn't bothered by it.

It was when she gave Shoto her goodbye before she had to leave him to detention when it was the strongest. It was when he would message her, talking about the horrors of that day's work, when she felt wobbly and aglow again. It was when he would sigh and rise from the table to fetch more napkins because Kairi truly enjoyed her food and didn't notice the crumbs that spilled all over her skirt. Part of her thought maybe she should seek out a doctor, but then she would feel fine and forget about it again.

"Ehhh, so much math homework..." Uraraka moaned, following Momo, Tsu, and Kairi out the door. "Anyone feeling like studying with me?"

"I have to see the counselor today," Kairi reminded, scrolling over her phone. "It feels like I'm plateauing a bit. I feel like I got a little better and now I haven't changed and honestly my quirk hasn't gained much control."

"I don't know, I haven't felt like any of your emotions have seemed to be so intense none of us could handle them," Tsu said kindly.

"Except for..." Momo began, and then flushed red. "Never mind. But even that seems to come and go."

"Maybe you're just getting used to it," Kairi sighed, her eyes still transfixed to her screen.

"Wasn't that a part of the expectations All Might and Aizawa had for us?" Uraraka asked. "He wanted us to learn how to strengthen our minds and emotions to fight against any quirk that may try to take us down in the field!"

"Yes, but does it really count if you simply just get used to?" Kairi sighed, scanning over the text on her screen. She frowned for a moment and then let out a small breath before continuing.

"It's that a part of it? Isn't getting used to it just a part of building defenses against it?" Tsu posed. Kairi shrugged.

"Maybe, I don't know... maybe it just shows all you lot are great heroes and tough and you can do anything! Meanwhile I'm weak and have no strength and I... maybe I just am not cut out for this."

"That simply isn't true," Momo quickly stepped in. "You wouldn't have been admitted if you didn't have potential. You wouldn't have been allowed to come back, and join class 2-A if you weren't." Kairi pouted and stared sadly at her screen, a bit wracked.

"What do you keep looking at?" Uraraka said.

"News. Reports. Police records that the public is given access to which, admittedly isn't anything. Also I guess wondering if my phone is going to ring or get a text," Kairi answered somberly. "My dad was following a lead in his case he's working on. He's hoping it will be promising or lead to a main suspect. I get nervous whenever he follows one of these because I don't know what's going to happen at the end of it. I mean, if anything did happen _someone_ would have called me so checking news sources is kind of pointless..."

"It sounds like your father is a good detective," Tsu said, resting an arm against her shoulder as they turned towards the dorm building. "He also has others with him, right? I'm certain he'll be all right."

"I know but, he's... gotten hurt once, when I was young." Shakiness pulsed through her heart. "It's hard to not remember that whenever he goes out." Iida ran on ahead of them and held open the door. Kairi smiled warmly at him as he stood, allowing the girls to head on into the dorm first. She looked over her phone's screen again before giving in and tucking it away.

Momo and Tsu followed her, heading up the steps to the top floor of the dorm where she entered her bedroom. She dropped her bag on the floor and tossed herself across the top of her bed, groaning pleasantly.

"Sometimes school is more draining when we're doing bookwork versus hero training," she mumbled into the pillow. Tsu picked up the stuffed elephant from the end of her bed and squished it to her chest, patting one of its large ears.

"How have you been feeling, Kairi?" Momo asked, eyes scanning over the pictures clipped to the wall. The collection of photos had grown bigger. The ones with her parents when she was young, and later ones with her father were still present. At the end of the trail of photos were the new additions; pictures from over the summer of her with her friends. Kairi sat around a table at a diner, eyes wide as she was caught off guard by Momo trying to get a selfie with Uraraka and Tsu with them. Kairi sitting on a rock while Izuku photobombed her in the background. In another photo, she was screaming in the front of a roller coaster and clinging to the person sitting beside her – Iida, who looked somewhere between terrified and excited. Behind them, Tsu was allowing her tongue to loll out and catch the high speed wind and Aoyama purposely posed in a way that he believed would capture him best. Kairi and Shoto completely drenched after getting off a water ride, the both of them hugging themselves from the chill. Kairi and Shoto's selfie from the beach concert. A snapshot that Aoyama had posted online, where he had captured both Kairi and Shoto on the subway. The caption had been cryptic, nothing but a winking face, but Kairi appreciated it. She had been tense that day as always when she was being shoved into the subway among the crowds of people. Shoto had reached over and rested a hand on her shoulder, holding her close to him to avoid having to be pressed in against everyone else. Odd as it was, she liked the photo, and it joined the family of pictures. The last one was from a free play day during a physical education class. It was a class photo, most of them scuffed and dusty from their baseball game. Momo had leaned her head into Kairi and Tsu lovingly rested her chin on top of Kairi's head. Shoto stood on the other side of Kairi, resting his arm against her shoulder.

It was becoming a wall of warmth and smiles, one of the biggest things that stirred her well of joy when she entered her room.

"Better," she sighed proudly. "I'm still on edge, but whatever is going on I'm managing it. Hopefully it will go away soon." Her phone pinged in her hand and she rushed to slide open the message.

_Home. Today went fine without incident. No need to worry, which I know you are. _– Dad.

The heaviness flew away the instant she read his text. Feeling warm and light, she tapped out a message to him and then floated to where she sat on the bed. Tsu turned away from her position near the bookshelf to smile at her.

"Seems like everything is okay then?" she guessed. Kairi nodded.

"Yes..." Kairi exhaled proudly. "He's home and nothing happened."

"Is this a common occurrence with him?" Uraraka asked.

"I mean, he's a detective. He always has to be on his guard whenever he's out working on a case because he never knows how it could happen," Kairi explained, enjoying the brief moment of warm contentedness. They didn't come along often; surrounded by her friends in her room specifically designed for comfort, and knowing her father was safe. She settled against the relaxation stirring in her soul. "Thankfully for me, most detective work isn't constantly barreling into criminal's houses or tracking down a suspicious person on the street like the shows enjoy. A lot of it is paperwork, deskwork, computer work. So many days I'm not worried. There are days though when he does have to head out, like today. That's when I'm nervous."

"What about that mind reading quirk?" Tsu asked. "That's got to help alert him to danger. Though I bet that could have some privacy violation issues, _ribbit_."

"It does," Kairi nodded, in agreement. "He's incredibly careful with and it's something that is used very sparingly. Mostly only dangerous situations or to see if someone is lying or not during a confession."

"I can't imagine having a quirk like that," Uraraka said. "I feel like there are many times I would be tempted to use it for awful reasons too." She sheepishly turned her eyes away, fearful of what sort of judgment they would impose. Kairi shrugged and looked back at the ceiling.

"It wasn't easy, he said. It used to be distressing. He said it's like whispers that were constantly tickling at his head. It became a matter of growing and tuning stuff out til eventually he just grew to let them fade into the background. It took some determination but with time, self-control, and making some hard choices, he learned to push them into silence. I think he said he was about twenty when he finally began to get the hang of it."

"That seems like you," Tsu said from the chair, placing a thoughtful finger to her lip. "He struggled with his quirk, and you're still struggling. You still are several years away from his age when he got control of it. You will be able to control it soon, I'm sure."

Kairi smiled at her confidence, and rolled back into a sitting position. "Maybe... it's possible but. I would graduate from UA before I'm twenty. If I don't have control of my quirk by then, then I haven't proven myself to be a hero and I can't be one!" Doubt was beginning to seep back in, and she picked at her own fingers. "I'll be left behind, and I won't be able to help others. Besides that my father's quirk didn't affect others the way mine does."

"You were accepted into UA for a reason. We keep saying that!" Tsu told her firmly. "Your path is not the same as your father's. What I mean is, his story is at least an example of someone being able to control his quirk, which you will be able to!" Tsu's authoritative but confident affirmation of her held her doubt at bay, stilling it before it exploded. Kairi breathed.

"You've never seen me explode, Tsu. I appreciate your words but... Shoto and Bakugo was just the beginning. You've never seen me a huge mess because you lot have never given me a reason to. You've helped to tame my emotions when they start to rise."

"Isn't that a part of your growth?" Uraraka said, sitting beside her on the bed and touching her shoulder. "We help you, you help us, remember? We're a team. We all work as a team. That's why Aizawa wanted you in this class, right?"

"But even my father said there were times when he used his quirk for his own selfish reasons. He messed up with his quirk. Over the years he has gotten better in using it and becomes more moral and sparing in his usage of it, but he still makes mistakes and abuses it on occasion."

"Quirks may make us superhuman," Tsu continued. "But underneath it all, we are still human."

"Yeah, we're flawed. We make mistakes, we learn, we grow," Momo said with gentle eyes. "Not even heroes are perfect. Not even All Might. And when you do make a mistake, we'll be there to help you through it." Her chest thumped with prideful joy, a warmth billowing through her system. The jump through her startled the girls around her when her phone chimed. Kairi picked it up and then tucked it away quickly, standing up.

"The alarm for the meeting with my counselor," she sighed with defeated reluctance. Kairi stood, the other girls following close behind as they all left the room. "Have fun studying!" she said as she told them goodbye. Exiting the building, her steps were lighter as she made her ways back to the school for her session. It was strange, to feel so light before she went to see her counselor. It was nice, for once, to have little emotional weight to shed.

"You can't tell me you didn't once try to shove his head into the ground," Kairi asked, refusing to pull her eyes away from her laptop as she repeatedly tapped against one of the numbered buttons on her keyboard. She lazily moved her legs back and forth as she lay her stomach against Shoto's floor. Shoto dropped his uniform jacket over the edge of his desk chair before swiveling it towards him to sit.

"There were opportunities to do so. The temptation was there. He didn't stop being infuriating," he answered honestly, moving aside a couple of textbooks on his desk. "But I didn't. It seemed like he was really trying to, though."

"Wow. No wonder you're one of the strongest at the school. I would have whipped him in the head."

"You mean, you would have _tried _to whip him in the head after you threw a torrent of cutting words first," Shoto snarked. Kairi looked over the top of her laptop to glare judgingly.

"Yes, yes, I'm super weak, I get it."

"I never said that. You're probably stronger than the average person the street, but you can't take Bakugo in a fight. Not just because of his quirk-"

"Because I got noodle arms and noodle legs, I get it," Kairi mumbled, returning her eyes to her computer and mashing at the keys again. She hissed through her teeth and clenched her fists. The disturbance in the atmosphere made him whip around to stare at her with confused concern.

"Your emotions are all over the place there, Noodle," he said plainly. "Are you angry? Are you sad? Are you... what?"

"I just spent the last twenty minutes battling this damn boss and then he had to go and swing his hammer and crush me to pieces!" She screeched, before flopping over and moaning her frustration. Her hands slapped against her face while Shoto stared at her blankly.

"Perfect, you can use the time to do your math assignment."

"No, it means I try the boss again." Kairi flopped back over to face the screen again, moving around her mouse with her right hand and tapping against the keyboard. Shoto looked up to the ceiling as if he were searching for some direction.

"I thought you came in here to do homework since you missed the study session Momo had and didn't want to feel lonely."

"I came in here to destress after meeting with my counselor because she grills me with some hard questions, and _maybe_ do homework. I'm destressing." Shoto raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"The emotions you're projecting don't feel destressed."

"They will be once I beat him," Kairi sang quietly and began to rapidly tap against a few of the keys. Shoto turned his head from her and reached for the headphones dangling from his desk. Popping one in each other, his attention blocked Kairi. Right hand scrolled through a website on his laptop, with a waiting notebook and pencil off to the side. He hummed quietly to himself, following the beat of whatever he was listening to. The young girl peered up from her screen for a moment, watching Shoto focus on the work before him. Grey and blue eyes scanned the material before him with deep intent. Her heart thunked dully as her own eyes studied the smoothness of his skin and the glow that was cast from his eyes as he leaned over the computer. Her neck grew hot and tingly. She watched his Adam's apple ripple with a swallow and a faint brush of pink highlighted his cheeks. Kairi ducked her eyes back down beyond the computer, her movements in her game sloppier than they had previously been. Hot breath quickening, her game character stumbled in timing and she nervously bit her own lip. Slowly, she gave in and exited through the game screen.

"Should I open the window?" Shoto asked slowly.

"Hmm? Yes! Ah, yeah it's... hot in here," she chuckled, clearing her throat from the sudden squeak she seemed to develop. Shoto quickly pulled from his desk and propped open his window. The air was mildly chilly, but Kairi let the fresh air tame her mind. The odd emotion hadn't been too terrible, but in that moment... it felt stronger than it possibly ever had been. She shivered, feeling both terrified and elated by its mystery.


	35. Going Beyond Feelings

Aizawa slouched in through the door, looking less enthused than he usually did to be up early in the morning to teach the class. A whole week and a half had gone by – and nothing had changed about her feelings. Kairi had ruled out sickness as there were moments when she felt normal. Tsu seemed very suspicious but had kept quiet. Uraraka got quickly embarrassed and, and Momo found herself incredibly shy if she started to feel that way. It was only Aoyama who constantly had some sort of knowing in his wink and instead just remained silent whenever she asked him what his weird looks were about. Irritation taking place of the odd feeling that reoccurred, Kairi glared death at him and he would tear away from her, chuckling. As good a friend as he was becoming, his little secrets and mystery were also becoming a nuisance.

So she slumped against her desk, growing tired and used to that sensation that seemed to come back after shortly entering the classroom. Her sad eyes looked across the classroom, a few still twitching with her emotions. She breathed and jolted upright when Aizawa threw some thick book onto his desk at the front of the room.

"Listen closely, because today is the day I really don't want to repeat myself," he bellowed firmly. "We have a full day. There are a few things I want to get out of the way before I begin..." he sighed and rubbed both his eyes. "The lecture I have been advised to give."

"A lecture?" Kaminari said sitting straight in his seat. His eyes bulged at the teacher's words. "Was there an incident?"

"Not _yet_," Aizawa growled. "It's not even an incident just... wait a moment." Kaminari settled back into his chair, but the rest of the class became a little more alert. "First order of business, I would like to remind everyone that our Cultural Festival is six weeks away and I encourage you to begin thinking about what you plan to do." Whispers rose amongst their heads. Momo looked to the ceiling thoughtfully while Iida began to furiously scribble in his open notebook. Aizawa clapped, getting their attention again. "You can begin discussing your ideas after class. I am just telling you to begin thinking. Another reminder: today we are doing our group battles. In just a moment, I will tell you who your pairs up. Now..." He groaned and melted into his chair beyond the desk, looking both bored and uncomfortable. He dropped his hand under his chin.

"You are at an age where most of you might begin..." A heavy sigh. Kairi twirled a pencil in her awkward grasp, agonized by impatient curiosity. Whatever Aizawa was about to say, he seemed very reluctant to speak about it. Apprehension whipped her around as she leaned forward, and waited. "You might begin to experience feelings for others. Romantically, I mean. Likely, it's going to be your classmates and it would not surprise me if some of you were already feeling that way." Uraraka instantly slid down in her seat, while Izuku stiffened, face going white before a bright sheen of red overtook his expression. Kairi shot her eyes in their direction, speculating their obvious infatuation for each other was the reasoning for this discussion. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Aoyama looking at her smugly. She glared poison his direction. Why was he being so coy and irritating?

"Are we getting the sex talk again?!" Mineta shouted, tongue nearly falling out of his mouth. Kairi rolled her eyes.

"_No_," he said firmly. "That's your health teacher, not me. No, the school thinks it's important that I remind you what it means to have a relationship with someone who is also a hero, or a hero in training." He sighed and leaned forward against his desk, clasping his hands together. "Listen. We are not here to discourage any relationship between any of you. In fact, feelings towards someone else of a romantic nature can be encouraging, or empowering. If they can give you confidence and help you in the field. But it is important to also realize the consequences that could come about from such a relationship. It's easy to become fixated on a partner and have that become your whole world. It's easy for them to become a distraction to you. If you are partnering in the field with someone who is your real life partner, a villain may figure it out and use it against you. If you favor your partner over the rest of humanity, that may be the incorrect call and there may be consequences."

Panic rose in Kairi. The lecture was pin pricking her without a reason why. Her system was tightening and she fidgeting in her seat. Conviction nipped at her, and her mind fogged with confusion as to why. The atmosphere grew heavy with her embarrassed discomfort. Itchy, she wanted to jump from her seat and fling out the window. Why was this bothering her so much, why was he bringing it up? Her seat was burning under her and she wanted to run.

"You don't expect we would ever have to make a decision like that any time soon?" Iida asked, ever the pursuant of knowledge.

"I would say no, but villains invaded our school last year. Students tangled with dangerous villains. We thankfully have had a mellow year so far, but as your training gets harder and you grow closer to officially licensed heroes, it may be something you have to think about. Romance can be one of the greatest disturbances in emotions..." Several heads turned Kairi's direction at the word, and she lowered her head. Emotion. Romance. Something that had been on her mind since she hit puberty, and what it would mean for her quirk. How she would react, what it would do. "I repeat; romance, emotions. They are not bad things to have. But they can also be a weakness too; a weakness that can affect your judgment, or something that a villain could use. Be vigilant, and remember there are times when your feelings may come before logic, but logic may also come before your feelings. Part of being a hero is using that judgment. People will be expecting you to make the correct the decision. Remember that as you go on dates or pursue a romantic interest." His words felt targeted, driving right into her. The pressure grew, expanding against her ribcage and constricting her air. Fingers clutched the sides of her desk as his words scrambled. A romance was out of the question for her anyway, she made that decision, and yet she still felt bound and whipped by whatever whirlwind was travelling through her. Logic versus emotion, a battle she always fought. Logic made sense in theory but it was hard to think when your heart was exploding into your head.

Kairi gulped in air, forcing herself to remain still and sapping her energy to appear physically okay. It didn't matter anyway, as the class turned onto her. Dizzy, she swayed in her seat, holding close to her desk. Her vision blurred around her, thinking about the pressure. Logic. She needed to use logic. Her emotions wouldn't save her every time, like they did with Shoto in the woods. She would need to push away her emotions and be sensible. But how could she do that? It was impossible, with her quirk. Her emotions were great and wild, and took over everything. She couldn't overcome it, couldn't control it, couldn't...

"Hoshino!" Aizawa shouting, shaking through her.

"Huh?" she chattered, shaking in her shoes. His eyes firmly on her, and the relaxed positions of her concerned classmates told her he had suddenly erased her quirk. Her eyes darted around the room, collecting this information. Her eyes fell onto Shoto, and her feelings melted, her panic softening. He was dramatically miming breathing deeply, a reminder to her to do so. She smiled, a flutter under her throat while that warmness rolled back over her. She nodded and took in a heavy gulp of air, holding it for a few moments. Eyes on Shoto, dazzled by the gentle comforting smile he was giving her, her emotions settled back into place. The panic extinguished for the moment, her bubbliness returned, twisting through her stomach.

"Are you okay? Do you need to be sent to Recovery Girl?" he asked. She grinned and looking over at her homeroom teacher, feeling light and dazed.

"I... think I'm okay now..." she told him gently, and folded her hands in front of her. "Please continue."

Aizawa waited a moment, watching her fiercely. Then he blinked, breaking his quirk's hold. Fingers fumbled while he fished out a bottle of eyedrops. Kairi turned back to Shoto, whom she gave a grateful grin. He nodded, face as bright as hers.

"Onto the next, more comfortable order of business," he said, sounding relieved to have gotten past that part of the discussion. "Today we are focusing on more hero training. You are going to be paired off, facing another pair. You will fight the other and you will also be working to protect a civilian – for this exercise, we are using standard issue dummies. You are going to be using a canyon terrain in this exercise. Every person will have one of these attached to them." Aizawa help up a piece of red cloth. "It will be tied to you – please place these in appropriate areas..." He groaned, as if that were a past issue. "A perfect score will consist of both you and your teammate still having your flags, with the dummy unscarred, and the other team having lost their flags."

"That sounds like a long list of things to keep in tact in order to get a perfect score," Izuku said.

"Exactly," Aizawa said. "I don't expect anyone to get a perfect score. However, I remind you, damaging the other person's guarded dummy does nothing for your point system. Accidents happen, of course, and part of this test is to ensure that the dummy doesn't get ruined but there is no need motivation in hurting the other's dummy. Unless you want to hurt the other team's grade." Aizawa sighed and rose from his desk, picking up a piece of paper that laid out in front of him. He cleared his throat and then dully began to read over the list. There seemed to be no sense to how the teams were paired up. It wasn't anyone who was necessarily friends who worked well together, but there also seemed a few who were excited to be together. Mostly it seemed random.

"Todoroki, you are going to work alongside Mineta," Aizawa said dully. Shoto rolled his eyes while Mineta waved over to him. "And the two of you will be fighting against Hoshino..." She looked over to his seat, stomach sinking that she would need to go against him. And Mineta. What a mix. . He was really pitting friends against each other, wasn't he? Plus, he decided to throw in that little pervert, of all- "... and Bakugo."

The room fell silent.

Moving in slow motion, Kairi shifted to face the front of the room again. Everything in her tensed up, while her emotions froze. Unable to think, shocked emotionlessly, she blinked at her teacher. Her mouth fell open but she remained silent. Her wound her fingers together, knitting them tightly. Her jaw stretched as she held her teeth tightly, her neck pulling at the pain.

"_What the hell?!"_ sneered Bakugo, jumping out of her seat. "You want me to work alongside that bi-?!"

"Before you _think_ about letting that word fly," Aizawa interrupted sternly. "I want you to think about if you would enjoy being written up for another offense, Bakugo!" The blonde kid twitched, body vibrating with anger. He spun and gave Kairi a dark expression, body ready to explode under the intense rage that was boiling underneath. He sank into his seat, just at the moment Kairi began to silently seethe.

She held her knees as close to her chest as she could get away with without being seen. Her back rippled with her tight muscles. Her eyes searched the room, almost begging for Shoto for help. His pathetic, worn expression told her he was out of ideas as Aizawa rattled off the list of names. His voice pitched to a drolling ring as her anxiety heightened and shook her form. What to do, how would this work, there was no way this could work. Every possibility ended up badly, with Kairi left behind and Bakugo trying hard to take the credit. He wasn't going to be a team player, the only one he had any success in working with was Kirishima. Each ragged breath scraped on its way down, tearing its talons through her. Kairi gulped, struggling for more air. No, no, there was no way they could pair her with Bakugo? Against her best friend and Mineta?!

"Mr. Aizawa, please," she begged, after her legs finally left her seat and congregated with the rest of the class as they moved in two lines through the hall. Kairi hurried through the throng and reached her teacher, eyes desperate with begging. "This is the worst match up."

"The matches were designed the way they are for a reason," he assured her. "You are expected to work with Bakugo. Not all heroes get along, and sometimes you need to learn to work with those you don't like for the greater good. It's not about liking each other, it's about teamwork."

"But how can you have good teamwork if you can't be in sync?" she panted heavily. "Just switch it. Bakugo and Mineta against me and Shoto. That would be a good match, wouldn't it? Shoto and I are best friends, we would have this rhythm."

"You would then be missing the point of this lesson, Hoshino. To the lockers." He paused at the end of the hall and pointed in the direction of the girls' locker room. Hoshino huffed, as she watched the trail of girls leave. Momo and Tsu looked over their shoulders at her, worried. Down the opposite direction, the boys filed through a door. Bakugo lagged behind and threw a glare her way. She shivered.

"I _can't_ work with Bakugo," she said.

"You're going to have to if you want to pass this lesson. Or I could simply fail you, and it would automatically cause Bakugo to fail too. Then, you may be even worse enemies. Would you enjoy that?" Horror struck her, and Kairi fell into a stiff posture. She bowed her head submissively.

"No, sir. I'll... figure something out." But her heart sunk even further, confidence dwindling away. She whimpered and sadly dragged herself after the girls locker room. Tsu held the door open for her as she slipped inside, muttering a thank you to the frog girl.

The girls were already beginning to slip out of their uniforms, some already beginning to pull their costumes over their legs, over their heads.

"Well, the groupings certainly aren't the most ideal, are they?" Momo asked when Kairi stood before her locker and pulled it open. She shrugged and pulled out the clump of pale green cloth that was her suit.

"You can learn how to work alongside Bakugo," Tsu told her confidently, pulling a sleeve over her arm. "Aizawa just wants to make sure we learn how to fight alongside all kinds of people."

"Well, Bakugo isn't exactly people, is he?" she snarled, biting through her emotions. "He's rude and arrogant and gets angry for no reason and full of himself and flies off the handle about everything and god forbid if he feels something other than pure rage."

"You're not the only with a difficult life, Kairi," Tsu reminded her, strapping her belt around her middle. "Bakugo is dealing with a lot of stuff too. All of us have dealt with things the last year, but Bakugo has had a rougher go off it than some of us."

"Anger is how he projects it."

"I'm just so sick of all of this!" Kairi fastened the plate against her head and snapped her gloves around her wrist. "I understand I am not the easiest to deal with my emotions, my last class showed that. I'm used to it, I get it. But no one has been so... so bloodthirsty to hurt me like Bakugo has!"

"That might be jumping to conclusions, _ribbit_," Tsu interrupted.

"What does this achieve?! We're only going to get hurt. This is a mess, this whole thing! He's pitting me against Shoto..." her heart flipped with his name. "And Mineta? Like, gladly, I have no issue punching Mineta into the dirt, but as if that wasn't enough to flare me up. Then they make _Bakugo_ my partner?!" She pulled adjusted the sturdy fabric around her legs, and counted the scent tubes to make sure all were accounted for. From a distance, it would almost look like she held a round of bullets about her waist with how plentiful her collection had grown.

"He's teaching us something," Momo said, clasping the yellow belt around her revealing red costume. "We'll just have to trust Aizawa."

"I'm naturally suspicious of everyone and everything," Kairi snapped, touching her hair to make sure it was secured in place.

"_Ribbit_..." Tsu exasperated as they began to stream out of the lockers and met with the rest of the class at the end of the hallway. Most of the boys had already finished and were shuffling their feet while Aizawa waited. Kairi hung back behind Momo and Tsu, eyes down as dread infected her. Hopelessness suck her, as she already began to give in to her forfeit. A bad grade. All As except for hero training courses. At least those showed she tried, this wouldn't even show that. Was this going to be how it was? Getting more and more difficult as she fought to control her quirk and kept getting pushed back by one reason or another? Was there even a point in remaining enrolled in UA? Kairi sniffling, her doubt growing bigger. Those around her fell into a quiet sadness as she projected.

"Kairi." The voice lifted her and she couldn't stop the movement of her head as she was drawn to it. As a moth does to a flame, she was pulled in by instinctive desire. Her watery eyes dropped on the grey and blue ones of Shoto. For a brief moment, her spirit lifted. It was impossible to be entirely hopeless with him around. "I know this isn't easy for you."

"Being on the subway isn't easy, Shoto. This is climbing Mount Everest, and I have no tools," she moped. He extended a hand and rested it against his shoulder.

"I can promise you I won't damage your elbow?" Kairi shrugged, ignoring the half joke. "Remember what Aizawa said about balancing logic and emotion?"

"I don't _want _to be logical about this, I want to be pissed."

"Heroes don't always get a choice, Kairi," she sniffed and looked up.

"I can't do it."

"Yes, you _can_," Izuku jumped in, popping beside Shoto. "This is your chance, Kairi. I know first hand that Bakugo is difficult to deal with. I've had to work with him time to time and he made hate me the most. But you can do it. I know you can. This is the ultimate test about controlling your quirk, isn't? If you can take out your best friend and Mineta, while working alongside someone who despises you, isn't that the ultimate win!" Hope fluttered in her, faintly, briefly. Power surged as his words sailed through. "Focus on your emotions, and use what you can for the situation. Embrace what you feel. Use your emotions logically. You can be both emotional and logical, Kairi! You can do both! You can be both! And you can use them to win!"

"I won't make it easy for you," Shoto promised, his smirk glinting before he pulled her close. Kairi gasped as she fell with his gesture, ear landing against the rushing beat of his chest. Her cheeks became swollen with pink. "You know I won't go easy. But if you beat my ass while paired up with Bakugo, you might be just the most powerful person in class."

"We know you, Kairi," Momo said. "We know you're strong enough. We know you're tough enough. Even if you don't think you are, we know you can reach farther than you think you can."

"Yeah!" Uraraka said, throwing her first in the air. "Plus Ultra, Kairi! You can do it!"

_Plus Ultra._ The motto pumped through her, invigorating a new determined life. Shoto's heart against her chest pumped in time with her own pulse. Blushing brightly, she ripped herself away, and found the confidence he held for her, in his own eyes. Despite her nerves, despite how down she had felt, her classmates found confidence beyond what she was projecting. They found it outside of the misery she was creating around them. She could manipulate feelings, she could even trick people into feeling certain things. It was how her quirk worked. What she couldn't do was completely change their belief.

And that's what didn't change. Their belief in her. They strongly believed in her abilities, even though she didn't. She looked from Uraraka, to Tsu, to Momo, to Izuku, to... Shoto. Who's eyes shown the brightest, the strongest. Even though he was going to be determined to make it hard. He still somehow... didn't waver in his belief for her. The gaze he poured on her solidified in her soul and she kept it noted to her memory. She would remember his eyes. She would remember this belief. How strongly his faith was, in her. Her chest thumped rapidly again, and she pulled away from him. Hot with embarrassment, she tucked her hair behind her ear. She could go beyond. Their belief and faith fueled her. Never once had anyone, and such a huge crowd, held such faith for her. And here they were.

They believed she could do it. Shoto believed she could do. Her opponent. Her best friend. Her most treasured... person. His belief would become her own. Confidence pulsed through her stronger than she ever though it could, expanding her strength.

_Plus Ultra._ She would do it. She could go beyond herself, beyond her emotions, her prejudices, her judgements. Whether she won or not, she could find victory in just going beyond.


	36. Trusted Enemy

"Let's get this straight," Bakugo growled below a tall cliff face on their section of the arena. Kairi rose, challenging him with her stare. The anger in her gut was being maintained at a simmer, but one remark from him could turn up its dial to boiling. "I don't like this anymore than you do. So let's come up with a plan and get over with this as soon as possible!"

"Agreed," she said, forcing her voice to sound as calm as possible, though she was on the verge of snapping.

"Just let me blast towards them and we'll end this soon."

"Ah ah aha no," she almost laughed, crossing her arms. He eyed her daringly through his black mask. "That's not going to work. You can't just go barreling in there without a plan. Sure maybe you'll get Mineta, and honestly, I won't complain if the both of you get injured since I can't stand either one of you. But you want to go against Shoto? You think your little blasting trick will take him out so easily? Come on _Baka-go_, you can't be that stupid!" His eyebrow twitched. He glowered at her while his nostrils flared.

"_What. Did. You. Call. Me_?!" he sneered in a low voice. Kairi combated the nervousness that threatened to plague her, batting away while her anger stewed.

"_I. Said._..." Her mind flipped a reminder, flashing warning lights in her mind about how this would worsen tensions between them and they would fail the assignment. This wasn't going beyond. This wasn't Plus Ultra. She bit her tongue and huffed. "Bakugo." He smirked, pleased with himself and proudly held up one of the grenade thrusters attached to his arm.

"That's right, Hoshino," he sneered, cocky pride highlighting his face. Kairi allowed her eyeroll to be incredibly visible. She reached with her left hand for one of the scent tubes, inhaling as quickly as she could. Thick, damp air. A window blowing in the scent of wildflowers and gasoline. A meditative breath fell from her lips as she recalled the memory from childhood, chilling her anger and calming her heart. Audibly, Bakugo could be heard allowing a deep breath to escape. She tucked the tube back onto her belt. "Spill it then."

"Spill what?" she forced herself to calmly say.

"What's Icy Hot's deal? You must have some secret weakness of his."

"He doesn't exactly have a weakness," she explained, picturing the way he carried himself with a cool confidence and how he always had the right words to say to her. He never hesitated in his movements and reacted at the right moment. Kairi smiled to herself, imagining how he was challenging her to get better, rooting for her even when he was still fighting to win. "He's perfect..."

"Yeah, yeah, sure he's great!" Bakugo shouted, annoyed. His tone broke her from her gaze and she rushed to keep up with him as he peered around the cliff structure. "The guy's got to have issues, right? You're always hanging out with them. There's got to be something you can stir up." She scowled at him, hands against her own hips. Of course there were things she knew, emotions she could stir up. But the thought of doing either one of them clenched her will. Blades twisted and tangled in her gut as the sliver thought of using any of her emotions to manipulate him for their benefit conjured inside of her. No, she could do it when she fought against him when she first transferred – but she hadn't known him then, hadn't bonded. And she hadn't known the specifics then. If she used any memory of the mistreatment she endured, altering it to remind him of his own father. Reminded him of his mother's mistreatment... it would tear her open. Her hand touched her stomach as she churned around that scenario. She couldn't do it. It was unthinkable.

"No, there's nothing," she said quickly. The irritated expression, contorted by her own pain, on Bakugo's face told he didn't buy it for a second.

"You're a terrible liar, Hoshino. There's something, isn't there?"

"I'm not using it."

"Don't you get it, you nerd?!" he hissed. "He isn't your damn friend right now! He's your enemy, in this exercise, you are expected to defeat him! You do whatever it takes to win this round against him, you got that? Or are you fine in letting everyone believe you aren't willing to do whatever it takes to prove you're a hero?!" Her anger burst.

"No! I won't do whatever it takes to prove that I'm a hero, you know why?! Because there are heroes out there who will do anything it takes to prove themselves, to get results! And that includes things that are immoral, unethical, and just plain indecent! I can't do that, Bakugo! My conscience won't let me! I am _not a fighter_, I don't hurt people! I am not willing to forsake my values just to prove my strength or honor or have people accept me as I am!" she screamed, almost so loud the next door section of the training grounds could hear her.

"Fine then," he barked. "Guess I should just blast him out of his quadrant then." He clenched his fist, proudly display the prominent grenade thruster around his arm for dramatic effect. Kairi smirked.

"You can't, he's too strong."

"Do you even _want_ to pass this, Hoshino?!" he snarled, the tension growing thicker as Kairi's feelings moved away from calm again. A shrieking argument was forming behind her lips, ready to tackle him and forget everything about this assignment. She wanted more than anything to be fighting against him instead of with him. Seeing his scowl surged something just short of hate through her limbs. She shivered under the fire of her fury. It was blazing around them, growing Bakugo's anger. This wouldn't do, she told herself. This was not logic. She was heavily wired into all her emotions and needed to recall the logic. Anger would get them nowhere. Kairi took a pull from another dose of the most calming memory tube. Her body took it in deeply, detaching herself from the situation. A peaceful day from a moment of quiet in her childhood. She tapped out a rhythm on her thighs, pulling in her zen to maintain order of her own emotions.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snarled.

"Stop. This is getting us nowhere..." she breathed, her breath edging on anger but she clenched its reins. "We're arguing and that won't help us win. We need to come up a plan. Together, the both of us. You're a fighter and jump into action. I stay back, try to assess the situation and study the angles I can take. I'm more indirect. I can dodge, I can divert, but head on fighting isn't my style. How do we combine those?"

"You detain him while I go in for the attack," he said, calm but grumbly. Bakugo shrugged. "That was frickin' obvious."

"But how?" Kairi pursed. Thoughts sped while her mind flicked. Frustration and rage dissipated as her Focus returning, turning the mechanisms to formulate something.

"Your emotions are stronger the closer you are to someone, right?" he asked, recalling something she had said several times.

"Yes." His lips curled.

"Then we need to get you as close to him as possible."

Bored, Shoto and Mineta stood at a far distance, watching their opponents peer around the edge of the cliff wall that separated them. For the last several minutes, they had done nothing but scream at each other. While the words were unclear, the voices were carrying.

"Are they going to do anything?" Mineta yawned.

"I'm... not sure. Kairi hates Bakugo more than she hates you." Mineta squeaked and looked at Shoto in horror, who seemed unmoved by his seemingly natural comment. "When she gets worked up, she really gets worked up. Hard to know if it's a part of her quirk or just how she is. Whatever the reason, it helps in her quirks amplification and projection. Her emotions are _powerful_, as you no doubt have guessed. If applied appropriately, she could at the very least render us motionless and weak."

"And if she doesn't... apply it appropriately?" Mineta slowly asking, blinking fear at Shoto. The boy remained still, unfazed by his own words. He sighed.

"Kairi is fast. She can process angles of physics just by looking at them and make an accurate judgement about where to go, how things are going to play out. But that's circumstantial."

"So how do you think it's going to go with us?" Mineta questioned. Shoto squinted, assessing the scene before them as Kairi placed hands against her hips and breathed in calmly. He smirked, pleased.

"I'm unsure. Kairi's improved, but throwing her in the same team as Bakugo could upset things. I sincerely hope she's able to work past her own judgments and focus on the task rather than her own feelings towards Bakugo. For her sake." Mineta looked blankly at his partner, expression contorted by his confusion.

"Todoroki, are you _hoping_ to lose against her?" he asked, shock straining his voice. He smirked as if the claim were ridiculous.

"I'm hoping she does well is all I mean. She could use a win, but you're mistaken if I'm going to make it easy for her. She knows she's no match against me, and that knowledge may help her to not become so arrogant. However, if I struggle in fighting against her, I would be glad for that." Mineta's smile stretched as wide as it could go, suspicious eyes boring into his teammate.

"You know quite a lot about Hoshino, don't you?" he teased, a hidden chuckle in his words. "So... how _well_ do you know her, anyway?" Shoto reddened, and took his angry eyes off his opponents for a moment.

"I want you to cautiously choose your next words," he replied in a low, warning tone. Shoto began to move out of sight from Bakugo and Kairi. Mineta called out, having been left behind and hurried after him quickly.

"You know... you hang out a lot. You've said she's your best friend. Have you ever touched her, or looked at her underwear drawer, or has she worn just her underwear around you...!" Mineta's voice was growing even more excited with each suggestion. As the smaller student grew more excited, Shoto's eyes darkened under a cloud of embarrassment sweeping his face. He snarled and turned to look at Mineta, who cowered quickly under the venomous expression.

"Why would I _ever_ do that?" he scoffed. "That would be violating her privacy. I've hugged her, when she's needed it. That's about it."

"But you for sure have feelings for her... riiigghht?" Shoto pursed his lips while he inhaled deeply, turning his head away.

"I think it's best we think about the plan, Mineta."

Kairi gawked after Bakugo, who disappeared again behind the wall of rock that shielded them from the opposing side. She stomped after him as he was stepping away from the wall, deductive eyes analyzing his position in accordance to the wall, mentally prepping next steps.

"Get away from me, Hoshino," he snarled. "Your proximity is making this harder." She scoffed and folded her arms.

"Because my general presence disgusts you or because my emotions are making you feel wike a weak wittle Bakugo..." She pouted tauntingly, sticking out her bottom lip for effect. He glared angrily.

"You know I can't stand being around you, but it would help if you did that Focus thing so I could think properly!"

"You know, I can think too. I'm a very good thinker. How about we let me think and add my voice to this plan which is _ridiculous_?!" she screamed.

"You agreed that all parts of it were correct and doable!"

"Yes, but together as a singular, cohesive plan isn't going to work for us! Mineta works best at close-range... oh god, in more ways than one..." She shuddered, thinking of the meaning of her words. "With Shoto, it really doesn't matter how close you are as long as you are in the general proximity. However, he can still knock me flat!"

"But he won't," Bakugo said coolly. Kairi blinked, startled by his calm.

"Wh-what?"

"It's true that Icy Hot will work to excel and defeat you and win. I don't doubt for a second he will pull out all the stops to win, and that he won't go easy on you. However, he's going to be far more careful about using his quirk against you. He can get away with encasing you in ice without causing too much damage, however, fire is pretty instantaneous." His eyes fell to her elbow, a flicker of shame for just an instant before he frowned again. "My bet is he will use his ice against you more than fire. He wouldn't risk hurting you, that much has become clear. So we know that. We can predict his movements that way. If you're near, he will only use one quirk, and will be weakened that way." Kairi blinked.

"How the _fuck_ did you pick up on that?!"

"It's hard not to notice you when you're the most annoying person in the room with your emotional thermostat! And who's often around you? Icy Hot."

"But we've only ever fought against each other once, and he didn't know me then! What makes you think-"

"Because even someone like Deku would be able to pick up on how quickly he moves in to protect you! Maybe you're more deserving of that name than he is!" he growled. The rage began to expand in her again. Boiling, her hands shook as she listed off all the ways she would love to cause him to bleed. She watched a vein throb on Bakugo's forehead, watching his expression contort as her own anger manifested in him. There was some logic in what he was saying. He was constantly jumping in to help when she was unable. Lacking in physical abilities to fight off against those who were stronger and far more skilled in defenses, he had been there. Relenting to his logic, she breathed in and shut her eyes. She channeled the anger, pushing it aside and decided to concede.

"Okay," she agreed, opening her eyes again.

"Okay..." he mumbled, surprised at confused by the ebbing of emotion and how calm she had made herself.

"Here's hoping Shoto does as you said," she breathed. "As far as Mineta goes... his one trick is throwing around those sticky balls of his. I'm hoping that I can dodge them fast enough." Doubt heaved in her and her body whimpered. Bakugo rolled his eyes.

"Don't start that shit now," he groaned. "You just said a few moments ago that you think you could move fast enough to dodge his attacks!"

"I said _probably_!" she sneered.

"Well can you, or can you not?! Do you have any idea what your abilities are, Hoshino?!" he screamed. Anger was rising between them again, blurring her thoughts and mind as she tried to think her way into a new plan. The ground burned beneath her feet as her anger swayed her. "_You_ are the one who came up with this portion of the plan, remember! If you have something better you better say it right now before I launch us into the air!" Once again, he was correct. Her irritation towards Bakugo had fueled fake confidence that she definitely could do that. How many times had she been told how quick her reaction time was? It's not as if she could move faster than a speeding bullet like heroes of old could, but she was sure she could dodge Mineta's barrage of sticky balls, at least enough until his head began to bleed from irritation. That would slow him down at least and he would easily be beat. That was her suggestion, anyway. Shoto however... it was just as he had said. Maybe, he would be careful about his quirk around her. That would limit him, and she could use whatever emotion of choice to weaken them. Then Bakugo could come in and "take them down", as he had said. Bait, distraction, weaken. That was her role, the role she had agreed to and even decided on. Bakugo would come in and do his explody bits. Simple, easy.

"I can't just climb over this," Kairi said, looking at the length of the rocky edge and gulping at its size. It was small, being in an indoor training stadium. However, it was still high enough that a fall from it would injure someone badly.

"You're the one who said-!" Bakugo began angrily. She held up a hand.

"I know that. It's not about ability. I could climb this, sure, but it's not as if I had lightning speed climbing abilities. They would see me coming up over and would use their quirks to prevent me from going over. They would block me. If Shoto created a large ice wall, we would need to change our plan. I have to get in somehow, quick enough to avoid their quirks. I have to... sneak attack, in a sense. Jump in."

"Jump in, huh?" He growled his displeasure, frustrated, but the reluctant rolling of his eyes told her he had a plan that he wasn't a fan of. He held out his arm. "Grab my arm."

Suspicion flipped her gut. "And what can I expect to happen when I do that? Some party trick?"

"No, you nerd! I'm going to blast you to the other side! Unless you want another mangled elbow, I'm going to need you to hang onto me, got it?!" Dread conjured bile to enflame her throat. Bakugo lurched forward, his face whitening at the sensation she was expelling. "Calm down, Hoshino!"

"My favorite words..." she moaned, annoyed. Her eyes dropped up over the angle and lengths of the rock before them. That would be quickest way in and would catch them off guard. Kairi took in several deep breaths and forced herself not to make her displeasure took noticeable. Nothing could be done about the convulsing, wretched regret that was churning inside her but that was probably for the best – at least he would know how disgusted she was with this. "Fine."

"You better be as light as you look." Ignoring the comment on her weight, Kairi made sure to tighten her grip around his arm and back, tight as possible so he could feel her nails tearing into him. He hissed but remained silent, instead casting her a displeased glance. Holding onto her just tight enough to make sure she was secure, he nodded to his free grenade thruster. He reeked, like a mingling of body odor and gas. For a moment, she wondered if her quirk wasn't so bad – it had to suck to smell like glycerin. Then again, he probably didn't care that much. "You're going to have to pull the pin."

She shook her head, jostling herself out of her thoughts. Kairi nodded and reached across him. She curled her fingers over the circular key from the large green thruster and ripped it out.

A couple seconds later, fire blasted from behind them and helped to launch them into the air. Startled by the kickback, Kairi gripped harder and found some pleasure in the way he winced. Moving at a speed that was pulling her stomach out of her chest, she covered her mouth to prevent the possibility of her breakfast returning. In moments, they were suspended above the cliff heights.

Bakugo released Kairi.

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**Thanks so much for all the attention I have been receiving for this story! It means a lot to me! The next chapter won't be posted until after Christmas (Working long hours in retail in TOYS of all things... I'm a bit worn out lol) so I hope you all have a good holiday, whatever you celebrate!**


	37. The Most Obvious Thing in the World

**I hope everyone had a good holiday! Now... take a deep breath, let it out... And read.**

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The timing had been off. That feeling that often arose when it came to Bakugo came out to play again as she cursed him in her mind. He hadn't been clear as she assumed they both would have sailed over, but of course that would have messed up the plan. It would have to be just her, as he bided his time and waited. Without consulting her so she could have calculated the distance and the appropriate landing zone, he just let her go. She was flailing over the area, just above where Shoto was standing. She winced and reminded to splay her arms, holding them at an angle to lessen the blow – that would still break her arms, but it's not like they were relying on her for physical combat.

It wasn't the ground she hit, however. Mineta scurried out of the way as she came flying through, and Shoto jumped back. Just as she began to surrender and brace for the pain of snapping bones through her arms, she watched a shot of ice pour out from Shoto's extended hand. The ice formed a sheet that expanded and formed, curving upwards and creating a perfectly designed slope. Almost like a tall quarter pipe, composed of ice crystals rapidly multiplying and congregating to build her rescue. The cool waft blasted onto her face as its spout caught her and she speed down its curve, rolling in the most ungraceful way possible. The slickness of the ice caused her to move faster, and shot her off the edge as she reached its end. Kairi held out her arms to stop herself, but the force with which she was being launched informed her with certainty she was not going to stop before she slammed into Shoto. Which she did. Before he could get a chance to drop his arm from the saving move he performed, Kairi flew towards him and barreled into his chest.

Instinctively, Shoto's arms flew to catch her, but the impact caused them both to roll, skidding against the dirt covered rocky terrain that surrounded them. Skin scuffed as they tousled together; they finally slowed and Kairi raised her head. She shook off the impact, and then her glowing warm eyes processed the scene before her. She was sitting up, staring down at a pair of widened mismatched eyes and a face so red it almost matched the scar around his left eye. Each observance grew her horror, noticing how she was sitting not just over Shoto, but on top. Laying on top of him, pressed against his warm chest and feeling the heavy trip in his frantic heartbeat. His legs were still, positioned just under her own.

Then there was that feeling, the one that had been haunting her since school started a couple of weeks ago. That rush through her, the wild excitement in her stomach as it jumped. Her skin heated as her mind fogged with imbalance. Breath escaped her, and a festive drum band decided to hold a concert in her chest. Even horrified, and shocked, the red on his face was endearing. The artificial lights captivated his eyes, turning the grey into the most luminous silver. The blue became the deepest gem she had ever beheld. His hair was shimmering and glowing, each side displaying its own brilliance.

She smiled, lightly, impressed and humbled by how quickly he had run to her rescue. In this exercise, he was her opponent. In this training, he was meant to fight against her and had no reason to rush to her. But he saved her, kept her from falling. Her skin sang, feeling his heat as she didn't move from her position, captivated by his presence and his forgetting of everything else to rush in and save her. Then, her body tensed as the deepest blush fell on her, matching his own. Piece by piece, she connected her feelings, her body's responses. Her admiration for his skills, his kindness, his traits, his personality, his... appearance. A best friend. Why had it sounded like such an insult? Why had it sounded so vile to her ears? Kairi clicked into place all her strange behavior the last few weeks, how everything this summer seemed to build her up, how overjoyed she felt around him. How she only felt "sick" when he was around.

She wasn't sick. She never was. And she felt like a goddamn idiot for not realizing it before. The most obvious thing to anyone else on else on earth. The strongest and most complicated emotion she had never once felt and prayed she never would because of its implications for her. One that so many songs and movies had been written about. The most obvious thing in the world, and she felt mortified by everything it was about to open up.

"Shit..." she whispered, scrambling off him as fast as she could and staring at him as if he were an infectious disease. "SHIT!"

Shoto dusted off his blue outfit and pulled his leg in to rise up, he raised a brow. "I get that I helped you out, but it's not as if it's surprising I would rush to keep you from breaking your legs. I can't believe Bakugo did that. Was that your plan?"

_Plan..._ Kairi looked back over to the top of the cliff wall, where Bakugo looked confidently down on them. She scowled, disgusted. It was as he had said. He knew that Shoto would avoid letting her get hurt. He _knew_ he would catch her. That was why he let go. He knew Shoto would not let her smack against the ground. "The little shit..."

"Whatever. What do you plan to do now?" he asked, challenging her with his eyes. Kairi snapped her head back to stare at him, sickened by how easily soothed she was by his standing before her and how she marveled the glint in his eyes, even if he was trying to be menacing in his gaze towards her. Her legs buzzed apprehensively before they melted and threatened to pull out from under her. She wrung her hands together, picking at her fingers.

What an absolute mess of an idiot she had been. Of course, she had never felt this way towards anyone who wasn't a real person standing in front of her, and all her attractions to characters or celebrities had been instantaneous. Not this. This had been so gradual, so unexpected, and she had never felt it with someone she knew. Someone who was a friend. Now, all in this moment, it had been the most obvious thing ever and she wasn't going to stop beating herself up for it. Why here?! Why now?! Why this way?! She had never once denied that Shoto was a good-looking person, objectively. Hell, the whole class knew it at least from an objective level. But this was completely different, new. Surely he could feel this. He must know something was off. He said before he didn't feel anything in Nezu's office, but he must have been lying to avoid revealing anything to her. There was no way he couldn't tell how she was feeling.

Kairi Hoshino had developed a massive crush on Shoto Todoroki and thanks to the lovely workings of her quirk, there was no way he didn't know it.

_Fuck. My. Fucking. Life_!

"Uhh, is this your plan, Kairi? Stand there and stare at me like a traumatized owl until... something happens?" he asked. She squeaked. That was exactly what she was doing. Staring, frozen. Halted by a brand new emotion that was far more powerful than she had ever felt. How was it not crippling him? How was he not also mortified and also a complete mess of embarrassment?!

She ran. Mineta's awful face was the perfect emotional soap. Her irritation for him was far more favorable and could easily replace this, making her forget in the moment. Do the assignment. Finish the fight. Deal with the feeling at home. She would need to talk to someone about it. Momo, maybe. Or Tsu. Maybe one of the girls would get it. Wiping away frustrated tears, Kairi bolted, heading in the direction of Mineta who was...

_Oh. SHIT. NO._

She was heading towards Mineta, the man who operated on feelings of lust, while she was exploding with her own feelings of attraction. Shoto may have had the decency to not show how he was feeling, but Mineta had no qualms. He acted on his attraction, and there he was at the end of it all as she ran his direction. Dopey eyes staring up at her as a pleasant smile extended across his face. He was pleased with something.

"Sooo... any chance you'll fall on top of me too?" he asked with a wink. That did it. Pleased with such a revolting comment in order to ignite the flames of her wrath, Kairi's body reacted. Almost as if she had no control over them, her hip jostled and flung her leg towards him. Mineta cried out, just as her boot caught his side and flung him towards the edge of the mock canyon.

She welcomed the wrath, and let it simmer, stomping out the affection she was experiencing. Yes, anger was best now. She needed things to make her angry. She needed it to fuel her, to clear her mind instead of being thrown in a tizzy because of Shoto. At least anger, she knew. A crush was some unknown and terrifying feeling that she could not rely on to win this fight. She breathed, relieved. Thankfully, she had plenty of negative emotions at her arsenal she could employ.

But if her affection was that strong, it would win out against every emotion, and be the most prominent one. If that were the case, she couldn't get close to Shoto – which was the whole plan! This pesky emotion was going to uproot the whole plan they had! Gloved hands tangled in her hair and she screamed in anguish.

"Come on, Hoshino!" growled Bakugo, waiting atop the cliff. She gasped and gulped. From the corner of her eye, she saw Shoto step forward, face full of concern. He probably thought she was having another panic attack, based on the tidal wave of emotions she was tousling through herself.

Her idea flushed it away. A tidal wave of emotions. Like in the survival exercise, when she went through emotion after the other. Emotional sickness. Bakugo had said to choose one emotion that would weaken them, but what if she chose _all _of them? Emotional whiplash. That would not only distract her and divert her from what she was feeling. Without taking the time to untangle her thoughts, Kairi removed seven vials from around her waist, and inhaled deeply. Each memory attached to them blipped across her mind, recalling a couple times when she felt content with life. The rest were some of the most excruciating and painful moments. Memories swiped across her internal vision. Her first Christmas she remembered with her parents. When her dad had been shot. When her mother disciplined her. When her parents argued about her. A warm day at the park with her parents. The day her mother left. The day she had the meeting with her teacher in 2-C that the class just wasn't working... Her stressed mind zipped around, pausing on each vision for just a moment to gut through Kairi. Feeling her insides splayed out for all the world, she turned to see Mineta struggling to stand from the powered kick she had flung at him. He stumbled, drunk from the explosion of pained memories she was enduring. Unable to handle the constant shifting inside her, Kairi collapsed to the ground and hacked out her tears, coughing on the salted grief that flowed into her mouth.

"Fuck this quirk..." she moaned, keeling over on her knees, watching with a sick pride as Mineta wailed and a heavy flow poured from his eyes. She looked up at Bakugo, casting him a look that told him she was growing impatient. With him incapacitated, she pulled herself into the fetal position and stewed in the miserable images. Fingers clutched at the scent tubes, suspended close to her nose. She took another hit of the concoction, groaning under the sense memory it flowed back into her body.

Bakugo's yell echoed before she saw him leap off the cliff and tumble towards them. He landed perfect on the ice slide that still remained on base. Shoto didn't hesitate and immediately shot up another tall wall of ice, cracking through the terrain and shielding between him and Bakugo. Mineta shouted, somewhere between anguish and terror. Trembling hands reached up to grasp the purple clumps on his head. He plucked two of them expertly, just at the moment Kairi caught him doing so. She pocketed the tubes and leapt back to her feet, trying hard not to grimace too much through her tears. Kairi's arms flung back against Bakugo, swiping him away from the path of the ball. They just missed, and instead suctioned themselves to the ice wall that erected before them.

"What are you-?" Bakugo began angrily.

"Forget everything! New plan! You just deal with Shoto, I can't be near him right now!"

"Are you bailing out on me right now, Hoshino?!" he snarled.

"Look, I'll get you Mineta!"

"You're supposed to stay near Icy Hot, you idiot! He needs to overuse his ice side!"

"We're playing it by ear now! I _can't_ be near him right now! My emotions, they're... a mess and I'll... look, you need to trust me this one time, okay?!" Bakugo furrowed his brow, displeased.

"Fine!" he snarled. "Deal with that perv and then... come back and restart the plan!" Kairi nodded and leapt away. Bakugo reloaded his grenade thruster and pulled at the pin. In seconds, a growl followed roaring scream. The impact of the explosion busted through the wall that separated them, shattering its integrity. Kairi stood as a shield while the kid in front of her ripped several balls from the top of his head, light catching the sheen of the marks left by his recent unknown grief. With her as the target, he aimed towards her. She ducked and shrugged, running with a dangerous grace his direction. Her eyes connected the distance before each bulb struck her and she chucked herself to avoid the next oncoming one.

This was a mess. Her feelings for Shoto were deep, and she couldn't quite figure out when they started. It was just as thrilling as it was devastating. She couldn't act on them. Whatever yearning she experienced, he would feel. Whatever longing she had, he would have. Maybe it wouldn't necessarily be for her if he had no real feelings for her, but it would always give her pause. He had to know her feelings, and therefore, their friendship was ruined. One of her first friends, and her best friends. And she had to damage anything they had by catching feelings. And what if he truly did feel the same? She would still always question if anything they did was just a reflection of her own feelings. She would always wonder if he ever really wanted to do go out on a date, if he ever really wanted to kiss her... They couldn't. She couldn't. It was a mess. Her quirk could never fully change people's opinions or morals if they were truly grounded in them, which she took comfort in. On that logic, if a person really wasn't into her and had no desire whatsoever, then it should have operated the same way. However, her quirk could tempt and manipulate. That was the scariest part about it. And the temptation and the manipulation is what scared her.

This newfound rush of emotions as her mind processed everything ran over her. Mineta rapidly flinging purple orbs every direction in the hopes of sticking to her. She swept under every one as they met with the sides of the cliff, the ground, and the remnants of the ice slide and wall. He wailed again, experiencing the mess within her just as a trickle of blood seeped over his forehead.

"You're out, aren't you?" she asked calmly, fires blazing inside her. He whimpered as he ripped another one from his head and half heartedly flung it. She merely stepped over it. Mineta removed his hand from his head, startled by the amount of scarlet that glistened over it. His bulging eyes looking over her with terror before he cowered before her.

"Yes..." he croaked. Defeatedly, he dropped his arms at his side. Kairi lunged forward, ripping the flag from where it hung off his... well, armored underwear, essentially. Kairi attached it to her side and jutted her chin away from the field.. A brief flicker of compassion glowed in her, watching more blood trickle down from his scalp.

"You should... probably step out and have that... looked at," she struggled to say, before pivoting and leaping back towards the giant hole in the ice wall.

Just beyond the ice were Bakugo's shouted and shaking growls from sets of explosions, snapping and combusting. A riptide of cold shot upwards, followed by an engulfing blast, charring the dummy they had failed to protect. Kairi ran, hurrying. Her pulse sang loudly in her brain as her mind scattered through everything she was going to ruin. She couldn't be near him, she didn't want to be near him. But the plan had been riding on her to weaken him. Shorted breaths hummed from her as she sprang towards the heat of the battle. Sliding under the arch formed in the wall, she leapt between them just at the moment Shoto pulled back his fire wave. Drawn to her presence, he leapt backwards, as if making more space between them would help the situation.

Bakugo and Shoto circled each other. Shoto splayed his right hand, a burst of stabbing crystals intensifying and locking the blonde kid's legs into place. He smirked and pointed one of his arms just off to the side. Another blast fractured the ground, quaking under them and stumbling Kairi against the thundering ground. Clumsy hands reached at her belt and she mixed heavy disappointment with the heartache that continued to throttle her. This was as close as she dared to get to him, and he was twitching under its discomfort. He held out his right arm again, over the expanse of blackened and disoriented ground. Thanks to Bakugo changing the terrain, it was almost another canyon quadrant itself, darkened by the blasts.

He fired off another shot. Instinctively, Shoto blasted his right side again, and the fire explosion shattered the pillar of ice that shot up in front of him. Kairi held the scents to her nose strongly, looking between them as she thought about what to do next. Ten feet away from Shoto. Ten feet. Maybe, she could close that without her heart exploding with embarrassment. Maybe she could close it to five feet. She blinked, swallowed the awkward stiffness that beat against her to stay away from Shoto. Fingers grasped around the vial of the scent that reminded her the night Shoto almost drowned. Kairi breathed in the dank smell of dirt, of humid air, of saltwater and fish rushing past, a slight hint of menthol to remind her how cool it was. How traumatized her heart was, how it pushed her into overdrive. For a minute, the light seemed gone from him. For a moment, dread had sunk in her.

It hit harder than it had when she first brought it to support. The grief was sharper, more intense, and elicited a hiss from Shoto. He genuinely looked unwell and miserable. Kairi kept determined fingers wrapped around the scent, inhaling deeper to further grind the memory in her. Images were conjured again. She shuddered once more. Tears were pouring into the scorched earth. Her eyes went to Bakugo, then Shoto, waiting for one of them to make a move. Bakugo looked at them smugly again. Sweat dripped from him onto the ground. He took a step back. Her eyes fell, seeing the trail of sweat he had slowing been forming – leading right to Shoto. Bakugo shot an explosive stream of fire from his arm, its embers hitting the perspiring glycerin.

_BOOM_.

The sound cracked through them and Kairi moved. She flung herself into Shoto, pushing him out of the way of the explosion. He already began to form his defensive moved, but Kairi's intercedence had broken his concentrated projection. The ice spiraled in front of them and formed in a wonky curve, cutting through the ground. The two of them slid against the ground, rolling together again. The two of them clamored and banged against the ground. Kairi hissed at the slam into her back as she finally hit against a stop. It took a moment before she gathered that Shoto was still clutched against her and resting on top of her. Of all things. The worst of all things. His body pinned against hers, where she was growing the shade of beets and her skin was hotter than the fire that stained the ground. She chirped, seeing his concern gaze assess the damage over her.

"Kairi..." he whispered, sounding almost sensual and of course it was completely involuntarily. Silent, just for a moment between them. The rhythm of her heart found his own, mingling with the pulsing force that echoed strongly. Her skin prickled at the touch of his hand, stroking through the blackened ash that colored her arm. Kairi shivered, terrified by how gentle and warm his touch was. Breaths quickened. Prickles rose on her skin. Her mind was screaming to get away, her heart was begging to remain. Her body was silent on either side and she remained still.

For a moment, her heart won, and she closed her eyes at the touch of his hand grazing against her arm. Slowly, his hand crept lower, sliding just over her hand. She hoped he would grab it, fingers tangle together. Then, horrifyingly, he moved closer. His fingers hovered just over her hip. Kairi's eyes clapped open and she rose with a sharp breath to question why his hand was so close to her thigh, grazing her like _that_...!

And then he held her flag up in the air.

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**So I need to know, who out there is going "Oh my god, Kairi, FINALLY!"?  
Thanks once again for your devoted readership, it means a lot! 3**


	38. A Panicked and Protesting Heart

All Might shut his distressed eyes, and massaged the center of his brow. Aizawa lazily looked over his direction and leaned against his seat in the observation booth of the stadium.

"You know, for a moment there..." he said, turning away from the computer CCTV screen just seated below the wide window facing the training field. "I thought she was about to engage in real physical combat."

"I can't help but think maybe we made a mistake in the match-ups," All Might exasperated, peering out over his computer screen and scanning his vision over the field. Shoto stepped off her and waved his flag tauntingly in the air. Kairi scrambled up and appeared a bright red – but from their placement, it was impossible to know if it was anger or embarrassment. "Was it too much all at once? Pairing her with someone who can rile her up like no one else in class can, while pitting her against the boy she has feelings for? I can't imagine what a powder keg of emotions that was for her."

"You were the one who suggested it, Toshi," Aizawa sighed, watching as Kairi angrily stepped out of the ring and slumped against the seats to observe the rest of the battles. Her front slumped over her legs and her sweat strung hair streaked over the front of her face, obscuring her expression. "Such a powerful combination might cause her to combust and break out some of her potential."

"I know," he groaned, pushing away from the white desk. He raised a hand to his mouth and coughed into it, low and gruff. "Isn't it possible we may have further caused her damage though? When Hoshino can find her Focus, that's when she can strategize how to best apply her emotions." Aizawa nodded, pressing against the button to backtrack on the footage. The images moved past before Kairi's flag was removed, just as Bakugo was about to launch an attack.

"Yes..." he grumbled. "When she's able to clear her mind, remove herself from what she's feeling, that's when she acts best can perform with strong competence. But a situation like this... you're right in a sense. It's possible it was a no-win situation and overloaded her. Except, she was doing decently up until..." Aizawa pushed the button again, reviewing further as the footage moved to just before Bakugo dropped Kairi into the opponent's side of the cliff. "She found it in her to move beyond her feelings for Bakugo and worked with him. I can't imagine that was easy, and whether she was able to keep her calm or Bakugo was, or both... They both showed a maturity that they have yet to show towards each other in class. They didn't let their anger cloud the other's judgment and worked together. Yes, it's possible Hoshino was just trying to keep a good grade, but her emotions normally would have shown through Bakugo in some way. Either he has learned how to defend his emotions against her or she has strengthened her overspill. If neither of them had, there is no doubt Bakugo would have exploded. Literally. He doesn't care about his assignment scores as much as Hoshino does and would have erupted." All Might twirled a pen between his fingers as he watched Aizawa continue to replay the footage.

"That's true. There was some growth there. She even quickly agreed to letting him carry her over and drop her," he nodded.

"I'm not too sure about the dropping her part..." Aizawa said, gesturing a finger over the invisible angles on the screen. "Look at this moment of panic on her face. She didn't know he would do that. But she trusted him enough to let him carry her, and he was the one who burned her elbow. For someone like Hoshino who gets nervous around people... and to allow someone she despises to do that... there has to be some trust building, even if it's minimal."

"Look at that, right there..." All Might said, using the pen to point at the ice slide that Shoto shot out of nowhere. "If Hoshino had no idea what the plan was... Bakugo's reckless, but he isn't the type to intentionally drop someone to great harm like that... Do you think he knew that Todoroki..."

"The kid's sharper than he seems, Toshi. He's noticed the two of them and _knew_ he wasn't going to let her fall. It was his plan. If he had informed Hoshino about it, she may not have trusted him, may not have been convinced Todoroki would, and wouldn't have let Bakugo go along with it." Kairi launched from the edge of the ice and fell into a roll with Shoto. All Might smirked and looked over at Aizawa proudly.

"Look at you, admiring your students and your intellect," he teased, clapping him against his shoulder. "You really care, don't you?" Aizawa scoffed and brushed the hand away quickly.

"Whatever," he growled, and then pressed a button on the keyboard. "See that? That's about when things began to go wrong, when she landed against Todoroki like that. She panicked, overloaded her emotions and while it was enough to take out Mineta, she lost her Focus."

"Hmm... it was her feelings for Todoroki, wasn't it?"

"If she's starting to truly realize what's going on with herself, her mind may be more of a mess than it was before." He sped up the image and stopped it just before Bakugo tried to attack Shoto again.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, old friend. Teenagers and romance... it's an old story. She'll talk things out with her friends, and one way or another her feelings will become less of a mess."

"I'm worried about how this will affect things in the meantime. If they weren't in the same class that would be one thing but..." He pointed at the screen, just as Kairi jumped in front of the blast and tackled Shoto to the ground. "Look at how fast she reacted to that." All Might curled his hands under his chin, thinking indepthly.

"Remember how fast she moved when she saved Shoto? We attributed it to her panic and fear, and how that made her move so quickly. But other times, her emotions cause her freeze. Why is that, do you think? Most people have a fight, flight, or freeze response, and often they usually just have one. Hoshino, though... sometimes she freezes. Sometimes though, her emotions throw her into action and cause her to make the right moves. That's unusual." Aizawa's eyes widened, as he finished out the footage and watched them roll away with Shoto ripping the flag off her side.

"Because... it depends on if it's herself or someone else..." he mumbled, astonished by what he was seeing.

"What do you mean?"

"Hoshino freezes when she feels pressure is building on her. She freezes when she feels like she's the one being singled out and the fault is on her. It's a self-esteem and self-conscious issue. However, when she's angry and feels she isn't justified in how she contributed to the situation and firmly believes the fault is on the other party, she attacks, or tries to. And since her abilities aren't in fighting, she applies them to her words. That's why she's always on Bakugo, or Mineta. However... when someone she cares for is being attacked, when it isn't her, she doesn't hesitate in jumping in. Her emotions process so rapidly, she simply moves. And right now..." He tapped the screen again. "Aside from maybe her father, there may not be anyone she cares more for than Todoroki." All Might nodded, waving his hand to indicate the scene where Kairi just seemed to freeze as Shoto slowly reached for her flag.

"Do you think Todoroki knows about her feelings and was using that to his advantage right there?" Aizawa shook his head.

"No." All Might raised his eyebrows. "In fact, he told Nezu he didn't notice anything when it was clear to both of us she was processing her feelings for him. I didn't feel he was lying to save her from embarrassment or anything either. I truly think he doesn't know how she feels. However, I do think he could tell she was embarrassed even if he didn't know why. And he knows her well enough to know that embarrassment freezes her. That's what he took advantage of, to take her flag. That's the detail I am a bit unclear on, however. The closer of a relationship Hoshino has with someone affects them more emotionally than someone she hardly knows. So her feelings should affect Todoroki the most in class. So why doesn't it affect him? Why is he unaware?" At the moment he asked the questioned All Might gasped, clarity dawning on him with full brightness. Aizawa swiveled to look over him with questioning.

"Because he truly has no idea..." All Might said.

"Yes... that was the impression he gave. The question I am asking is how...?"

"Didn't you say it was clear that Todoroki has feelings for her too?"

"Yes. Not as obvious as Hoshino, of course but..."

"That's exactly it, Shota. He doesn't know because he thinks her feelings are his own feelings. He can't separate both her emotions and his emotions, because he feels them even when she's not in the room. He thinks it's all his own feelings." Aizawa blinked, and turned back to the screen where he pressed a button to put the video back in real time, to see Shoto and Bakugo in a dance of fire and ice. The teacher groaned and pulled a sleeping bag from under the desk of computers. He slunk his feet into it and began to pull at the zipper, trying to escape from the complications around them.

"I hate teaching teenagers when they're dealing with crushes..."

Many of the other fights had finished, while Shoto and Bakugo were flashing waves of explosions and torrents of ice with fire at each other. Shoto's busting flash struck Bakugo and sent him back. The blonde student ran at him with a nearby explosion that Shoto blocked with a surprise ice shelf. Bakugo burst through it and they continued on as the rest of the class watched from their seats. They were all covered in dust and had their fair share of scrapes and bruises on them. Only Izuku and Iida managed to get both flags from Uraraka and Tokoyami, while everyone else for the most part got only one or none. Continuing on, Shoto and Bakugo then engaged in a duel of fists. Shoto slammed his hand against the ground and perfectly aimed a blade of ice – it shot just against Bakugo's leg. Grazing him, it left the skin completely unharmed. However his pants... were split open along the edge and exposing him from shin to thigh. In this process, Shoto also claimed his flag and the match was called.

"Ugh..." Kairi grimaced, turning away at the image of Bakugo's exposed leg that allowed the whole class to know what color of boxers he wore. Feeling revolted just as Bakugo screamed what an unfair move that was and how it could be considered harassment. Shoto coolly walked away from the field, reminding him that if the flag had been a gun and Bakugo had been a villain, he wouldn't have cared if his underwear showed to the world if he kept him from doing violence.

All Might and Aizawa stepped out from their booth and met with the class. Bakugo sat at a distance, angrily embarrassed by his exposed boxers. He forced Kirishima to sit beside him to block any peering eyes, but the Red Riot turned the color of his namesake and struggled to keep his eyes away from Bakugo's exposed thigh.

"For the sake of Bakugo and... everyone," Aizawa slowly began. "We will discuss your results and scores in the classroom. Unless someone is terribly hurt and needs to be taken to the infirmary right away..." He waited for someone to stand up, but the students just shook their heads. They looked beaten and rough, but they were otherwise upright and looked undisturbed. Except for Kairi who continued to be a bright red and held her hand on the side of her face to avoid looking over at Shoto. "I want you all to hit the showers and then immediately head back to the classroom." With the dismissal, Bakugo was the first to be running ahead of the crowd. Kairi slowed down and kept her distance between her and Shoto. The boy kept turning his red and white tousled hair as he repeatedly looked over her direction – as if he worried – but she kept her eyes down.

She breathed deeply the moment the girls' locker room shut behind her. She needed air. She need to think. It was too much, this sudden compressing itch that needed to be there. Now that she understood what it all meant, it was choking her and it was only going to grow heavier.

The rush of steaming water slammed against her face, and she begged it to be so harsh, it would knock sense into her. Tears mingled with the streams flowing across her aching body. He _must_ know how she felt, and used it against her. Why wouldn't he? That's exactly what a villain would do. That was why his hands lingered over her like that. He knew it would cause her to freeze so he could win. Her gut twisted, disheartened by his tactics. Why did he do that? Didn't he know better? No, no, it was about training. That's what it was. She was meant to be villain in that moment, so all bets were off. In real life, of course he would use whatever devices where necessary in order to win against a villain. Any hero would... right?

No, not always. They wouldn't sacrifice their morals. If someone was against torture, they wouldn't torture a villain just to get what they wanted. All Might never would have done that. He would knock someone out quickly at most. In that moment, that was what Shoto should have done, or locked her in ice to take her flag. But he didn't. So why did he touch her like that? Make her feel so vulnerable, make her feel those... things? Why did he have to hold her so close that she could taste his musk that had become second nature to her? Why did her skin have to buzz against the brush of his fingers and render her listless in that brief moment? That wasn't him. He wasn't the type to tease, to manipulate for a damn grade, even if it was a situation where they had to simulate attacking a villain.

Was it her feelings? They had been known to manipulate people in the past. Was this a piece of that? Was her emotional overspill giving him pause and maybe nicking at the small part of him that was willing to do whatever it takes? The part of him his father had tried to instill?

No... that wasn't Shoto. That wasn't her best friend. That wasn't...

Her fist slammed against the bathroom wall, shooting a searing pain through her fist and instantly making her regret the decision.

She preferred to be in 2-C. If she knew her feelings were going to become this complicated, if she knew she was going to completely lose all ability to use whatever skills she had because of something stupid as a _boy_ and become a mess over a _crush..._ she would have stayed with her old class. At least constant coldness and threats and angry whispers was easier to manage than this.

Among the last to do so, Kairi changed back into her grey UA issued uniform. Thanks to the lack of hair dryers in the showers, she ran a brush through her mocha toned locks and pulled a blue ribbon from the bag in her lockers. Inspecting the bruises against her arms and the cuts on her knees, she finished changing and joined the rest of the girls outside of the locker room. The throng of students gathered together, filing into classroom 2-A.

Shoto slowed his walk and made a noise to speak to Kairi – but she zoomed on past. Flying towards Momo, she grasped her elbow and dragged the protesting girl over to where Tsu was standing. The three of the girls gathered in front of Tsu's desk and when Aoyama entered the room, Kairi ran to pull him over as well.

"I'm freaking out. I'm panicking. I don't know what to do," Kairi began, just as Aizawa entered the classroom with All Might just behind him. She reddened, and her heart fell with disappointed annoyance that her news was just going to have to wait. "When school is done, I need to meet... no, we need to get off campus."

"Off campus?" Tsu asked, placing a finger to her lips. "_Ribbit_, what is so urgent? Is your dad okay?"

"It's fine... I mean, it isn't but nobody is physically hurt and it's nothing to do with my dad," Kairi whispered, feet burning to head to her seat. "But it's urgent and I'm a mess and don't know what to do and I just... I need to talk and figure out what to do. And I can't be where Shoto can easily interrupt me." As if he caught her name, his mismatched eyes moved her direction as he took his desk. Her heart thunked again and she took in a sharp breath.

"Do you want to go to a café or something?" Momo suggested. Kairi nodded.

"Ooh, there's a really cute one just off of...!" Aoyama began.

"Whatever, I don't care!" Kairi said, jogging backing to her seat. "After school!"

As the group split and rushed to their seats, Aoyama chuckled to himself, giving Shoto a wink. He furrowed his brow, confused.


	39. All Out on the Table

It was the strangest form of anxiety; pulsing with havoc and being ravaged by a complete indecipherable mess of emotions that was equal parts terrified, mortified, dreamy, and intoxicated. The class was exhausted by the exercise, but Kairi's incapability to get a handle on her Focus only continued to disrupt the rest of the class. They breathed a sigh of relief when she asked to head to the restroom and was gone for fifteen minutes while she splashed water on her face. Mind feeling a little clear, she slowly walked back to class but in moments, the sight of Shoto's face so fixed on the lesson caused a rise in her heart. The curve of his chin, the glint in his eyes, the perfect angle of his nose. It was only then it had occurred to her how just unnatural his looks seemed. Firm was his gaze, with gentleness forming within the crevices of his features. A perfect analogy to his nature as a gentleman while also standing his ground for things that were true to him. Blushing brightly like a ridiculous little schoolgirl, she dropped her head as she scurried back to her seat. It was no use. She would _need_ to get a hold on these feelings. It was so inconvenient to feel this way. She never wanted to.

Shoto was her best friend, and she only ever wanted that. He had been someone who encouraged her to succeed, to step outside her comfort zone and believed she could be a real hero... while never once had he pushed her or more her feel pressured. All he had ever done was build her up, the way a true friend should. Having that friend... it was uncomplicated. They could be together, have fun, enjoy life. Share laughs. Happiness was finally planted and began to shoot through her. Everything could be just fine, was just fine. She could receive that affection, the attention she always wanted. But that closeness would have a limit and she would never have to worry about the possibility of feeling she was convincing him to do something he didn't want because of her damn quirk. It was perfect.

And then her fucking heart had to go and ruin in. And how cliché – to fall for the one the whole class deemed to most attractive. Until her feelings decided to play this sick game, she had found either Iida or Kaminari the best looking men in class. Now, with her changed eyes, there was no comparison. Shoto's face shone brighter than any other in class, the rest dimmed by his unknown illumination. Slipping back into her seat, she surrendered to the restless atmosphere in the rest of the class. Shoto kept looking over her direction, so much that he was called to pay attention – something he never needed to be told. Many tried to ignore her, but aside from the infatuation stirring in her, the class knew she was distressed by something. As usual, Shoto was probably concerned with whatever it was. Placing a pencil to her notebook and reciting her mantra to just focus on the lesson, Kairi vanished as much as was humanely possible into the lecture.

Books were half falling out of her bag as she scrambled from her seat. Shoto opened his mouth halfway to address her, but she sped on past him. Terrified of what a conversation with him might suddenly elicit, Kairi zoomed from the room and was already zipping out of the classroom just as classmates were beginning to pack up their items. Her classmates stared after the empty space in the doorway when she vanished.

"Is Hoshino all right?" Iida asked, automatically looking Shoto's direction. But he shrugged, eyes wrinkled with perplexed concern.

"She didn't seem all right, but I... don't know," he answered carefully. The boy was already pulling his phone out of his pocket and tapping away at the characters on the screen. "She didn't say anything to me about what was bothering her."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon," Momo said, clutching her bursting bookbag. "She said that we-" Aoyama slid in and clapped a hand on top of Momo's dark hair, cutting her off.

"She said she was feeling a bit ill and needed to rush home right away! I'm sure we'll find out soon! She probably was hurrying home too quickly to say anything to you!" Aoyama laughed warmly and winked to Momo, who was only glaring at him.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "That's her best-!"

"_Au contrare, mademoiselle_, I have reason to believe what she wants to discuss concerns him!" he whispered back to her and then turned to back to Shoto with a bright smile, raising his voice again. "Have no fear, _ma belle amie_, I am sure in time she will let you know." Shoto kept his eyes on Aoyama for a long while, watching suspiciously. Sighing, his shoulders fell and he tucked his phone away.

"I guess it's not unusual for her to feel ill and out of sorts," he relented, pulling his bag over his shoulder. "She'll tell me in her own time. She just needs her space right now, as always."

"_Bien_!" Aoyama declared, and warmly sashayed from the room. Momo and Tsu eyed him with concern as he walked away, before he gave them another whimsy wink.

"What is going on?" Momo asked. Tsu blinked.

"I guess... we'll know soon?" Mineta passed by the two girls, standing beside each other while they quietly conversed. Proudly, he raised his head and cleared his throat, as if ready to declare the most obvious fact in the universe.

"Clearly, she is just experiencing the monthly sorrows of womanhood," he said. The girls that still remained in the classroom turned on him, eyes narrowed with vengeance. He shifted his eyes, as if it suddenly occurred to him that his words may not have been well received. Tsu's mouth barely opened and he was already scurrying down the hallway.

As quick as she could, Kairi had changed out of her clothes and into a simple pair of jeans with a pale blue t-shirt and cream colored jacket, purple butterflies embroidered along the pockets. Her phone buzzed with two texts from Shoto, but she ignored them and wrung her hands together while she waited for the others to turn up. As much as she detested the group text function and wish ill on anyone who misused it, Kairi resorted to using it to tell Aoyama, Momo, and Tsu to come meet her at her room. She didn't want to risk running into Shoto and then having no idea how to talk to him or how to act.

A gentle knock at her door flung her from her seat on her bed. Upon asking, the voice on the other side had confirmed that it yes, was her friends that she was waiting for and not Shoto. So, she flung open the door and was quick in leaving, her purse hanging off her shoulder.

"Please, hurry..." she whispered, placing hands on both Momo and Aoyama's backs to rush them away from her door.

"Okay, but... are you all right?" Momo first ask while they were be encouraged to descend the steps. Kairi swung her legs speedily, anxious eyes flitting across the stairwell for any sign of Shoto. Her chest moaned and beat dully through her neck and head. Her gut tightened as the anxiety increased, fearing she was going to be forced to have a conversation. Refusing to answer, the group safely left the dorm and began to walk down the path that led to the closest bus stop. The weight lightened the further they got from the school. Kairi finally breathed.

"I'll share more details once we've sat down..." she exhaled, eyes growing at the sight of how many people were filling the spaces on the bus. "Oh..."

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" Momo asked, looking into the full windows. "Oh, that's right you're not a fan of crowded spaces are you?" Kairi shook her head, but forced her foot to push forward and take the first step onto the bus. "Why don't you just call your driver to make things easier?" Confusion short circuited Kairi's brain. Dumbfounded, Kairi forgot about her anxiety for just a second to stare at her friend. "Uhh..." Sense dawned on Momo as she sheepishly turned away. "I forgot, that's not a common thing to have."

"I'm nervous as it is and I don't want to wait around for your driver to get us," Kairi muttered, staring sadly at the bus steps as she avoided to look of the bus driver. "I'll just... get over it." Urgency flowed determination through Kairi and she pressed herself. Discomfort held her in its vice the further she walked onto the bus. Her eyes avoided the glances of others and she snatched a handle that hung from overhead, one that had a little space around it. Her friends crammed themselves around her, and stepped back at the sound of her sharp intake and the tension that built around her.

"You've taken public transportation before, haven't you, Kairi?" Tsu recalled, while searching for something to discuss to distract her mind.

"Yes, plenty of times and it's always pretty tough..." Came her strained voice as her eyes fell onto a nearby window. "Before the dorms, Dad used to drive me to work and sometimes he would bring me home if he wasn't still working. The days he couldn't get me took some time and pep talk. It takes me less time to find the courage to take a bus or subway these days and knowing I've done it in the past helps. However, I'm still uncomfortable the whole way and I know everyone can feel my tension." Sure enough, everyone on the bus was trying to turn away from the other. Some starting tapping a foot or a finger. Several others spoke under their breath, annoyed but without knowing why. Tsu frowned at the sight and Momo sighed. Aoyama carefully moved to put a little more space between him and Kairi, but in the process ended up smashing against Tsu. "It's... easier with Sh... him," Kairi quickly said. Aoyama leaned over an annoyed Tsu with interest.

"Him?" Momo asked.

"She means Todoroki," Aoyama nearly sang, voice just as dreamy as his eyes. She prickled at the sound of his name.

"Yes... he instantly saw I was uncomfortable. The few times we went into town this summer, he placed a hand against the back of my neck." Her own hand went up and traced the placement of where his palm would sit. A smile lingered against her lips, soul warming at the fondest of the memory. "Something about the skin to skin contact, and the gentleness of it reminded me to stay grounded and if there was an issue, he was right there. It was comforting and made it... easier. I was still tense, but..."

"I remember that..." Tsu added, placing a thoughtful finger to her lips. "I remember when we all went to the amusement park. He pushed himself between us all and gave you a little more space and then did that."

"Yeah, I don't freak out as much when I'm on public transportation with him..." At the faltering of her words, Tsu raised her hand. Her slightly webbed hands pressed against Kairi's neck, pushing aside her hair. The young girl gasped and melted into the heat of Tsu's hand. The touch pulled her slightly away from reality, and trickled down ease. Her shoulders loosened and while the bus still felt stuffy, it no longer suffocated her.

The students stepped off the bus at their destination, Kairi feeling looser as she hit the sidewalk. Two seconds to take in deeps breaths of the open air around them, and they walked in the direction of a smaller café just around the corner. Kairi kept her head down as Momo took charge and addressed the host, who seated them to a corner table in front of the large window that peered out into the street. Single sheet menus were placed in front of them and the group was quiet as they looked over their food. With each passing moment, Kairi's stomach kneaded within itself. Her hand pressed against herself, worried for whatever alien may suddenly puncture itself through her stomach.

"Oh, erm... just a... small latte with the strawberry cream cake, please..." she whispered, only just registering the waitress was asking for her own order. A nod of acknowledgement and she finished taking orders from around the table, and she collected the menus. Kairi cleared her throat. Deeply reddened, the girl leaned over the table.

"Um... I might..." she struggled to begin, splaying her fingers out on the table to resist the urge to fidget again. "Th-the th-thi-thing is I kind of... I guess... I might, maybe... I think..." Pushing forward the words, and her brain tried to block them. Emotion continued to build a thicker wall, fighting against everything she wanted. Patiently, her friends remained quiet. Momo's heavy breathing and Aoyama's nervous wandering eyes were the only indication that her emotions were having in affect on them. Consideration led them to fall to silence, and her gratitude grew her strength. Another deep breath, and the moment allowed her feelings to tame.

"These strange feelings I've been having. I think... I might... It's possible I have some kind of... emotion for Shoto." Tsu raised an eyebrow. Momo blinked wildly. Aoyama leaned back against his chair as he took in a refreshing breath.

"I'm guess that emotion is based on a romantic affection?" Tsu said. Kairi nodded.

"It's refreshing to know you've finally figured it out!" Aoyama almost sang, eyeing her with pride. Her mind twitched, and she pivoted her gaze to him with accusation.

"You _knew_?!" she squeaked.

"I knew what that feeling was the minute you began to experience it!" he said. "As the _connoisseur _on all things concerning _amour_, of course I knew what it was! It was also most violent whenever Todoroki was around! And who's to blame you? He is quite handsome." Chuckling to himself, he cradled his chin in his hands, while Momo searched the room with an embarrassed sight.

"I... I knew, based on how it made me feel that it was something romantic. But I wasn't certain it was Todoroki, though he did cross my mind," she confessed.

"It made me feel strange," Tsu admitted. "But I couldn't be sure it was what I thought. I haven't had experience on anything romantic related, though I did feel an odd sort of attraction to certain people at school. But I couldn't tell if it was an extreme fondness for people or something else."

"Then why didn't you tell me?!" she hissed, twirling her hands through her hair. Bulging eyes glared at the sugar and cream cradles in the center of the table. "I suffered these last couple of weeks trying to figure it out!"

"I didn't want to make assumptions," Momo said.

"I wanted to give you the chance to come to your own conclusions rather than putting any ideas into your head in case I was wrong," Aoyama said, sadly. "I wanted to give you the space to figure yourself out. I was afraid I would be imposing." Kairi loosened her fingers in her hair, and slumped in her seat, frowning.

"Why not just tell him?" Tsu suggested. Horror stiffened Kairi.

"Why would she do that?" Momo said, sounding the way she felt.

"No, it needs to be a slow process!" Aoyama stepped in, dreamily holding hands against his chest. "There's an art form to this kind of thing!"

"She's going to want to figure out how he feels first," Momo said.

"That's exactly my issue!" she quietly snarled. "He doesn't act like he has any feelings for me beyond friendship, but now that I have this on me I can't be around him! I always feared if my friends were true friends or just influenced by own emotions. That fear has come about again because of this stupid thing!" Her fist slammed against the table, clattering the silverware that accented their places. "He might feel something for me, but it might not be real – it might be my overspill. It might trick him. He may think he wants to hold my hand – he may think he wants to kiss me. And if he says as much, I fear I may want to believe it so hard I won't care about how he actually feels! But what if it turns out he doesn't actually want that? Won't I just be taking away his own free will then? How does that make me any better than say, Mineta?"

"I think you're going a little too far with that analogy," Tsu advised, just as the server returned, balancing a circular tray with their drinks and small snacks. The discussion stilled as they took a moment to give their thanks, and she set down their choices. With a nod to them, she carried her empty tray and headed back down the kitchen. Clinking utensils filled their awkwardness.

"Am I going too far though?" Kairi suggested, just as they filled their mouths. "Think about how far my emotion could carry. Think about the implications of evil it could have if someone isn't careful with it."

"Didn't you say it can't change someone's beliefs or their true wants?" Momo said after she swallowed a bite of her small tea sandwiches. "If he really didn't want to, wouldn't he say?"

"Yes, but it can influence. He may feel uncomfortable holding my hand, but it's not like it's something he finds completely evil or vehemently against."

"It's not like he hasn't held your hand before," Aoyama said, waving his fork dramatically. Kairi scoffed with her eyeroll. Frustration began to grate through her.

"I'm not talking about the time he was pulling on my hand to get me to leave that collectables shop," she moaned. "And I'm not even really saying he would necessarily be against me holding his hand. I'm using it as a metaphor, to describe a bigger issue. He may already be fond of me because I'm his best friend, but my feelings may conflate those. He might get _confused_. If that were to happen and we were to begin a relationship, I would always question how real it is. How would I know?"

"_Ribbit_, I guess my question is do you believe we're your friends?" Kairi tightened, her mind firing and snapping as she tousled the answer. She exhaled.

"Yes. I think I believe you truly are my friends."

"And how did you reach that answer?" Tsu said, spooning a bit of parfait into her mouth.

"With time. Knowing how you reacted without my prompting. How you pushed forward and responded positively to me even when I was feeling down. How I have seen you strain against the affect of my emotions to give me what I needed and found ways to remind you care even when I felt like no one did. You basically did the opposite of what I was feeling, even when it was a struggle."

"Then, I can't imagine it would be that much different," Aoyama said, swirling his spoon through his mousse. "It would be much the same, and it would need to be with time. Todoroki is a beautiful gentleman and he cares for you, no matter what way it is. And it's clear you care about his feelings and put him first. If anything were to happen between you two, I think figuring out how to make it work is the least of your concerns." Momo bit a corner of another tea sandwich, staring pensively in the space between them. Kairi silently sipped at her latte, searching for anything to fill the silence.

"I agree," Momo finally said. "And that's why I don't think that's the issue right now. If it comes up, we'll address it then if you need us to help. Right now, you have feelings for Todoroki and have no idea what to do with them. Also, he just happens to be your best friend."

"Common story," Tsu said, taking a huge sip of her water glass. "A normal high school tale."

"That's it, I... I never had a best friend before him. Ever. And I'm enjoying it, and I don't want to ever reach a point where I don't. I'm happy, and I know that and I want to _continue_ being happy. I don't want things to change. Romance makes things far more complicated, especially with my quirk. Since I'm at a point of happiness, I don't want complication to come and stir that up!"

"That's not something you can expect to stay forever," Aoyama told her, in an uncharacteristically low tone. "If it wasn't Todoroki, it would have been someone else, eventually. If it wasn't a crush, it would have been something else. As we get older, become adults, become heroes, we are going to encounter complications."

"That's very true..." Momo sighed sadly, nursing her teacup. A bit of hair fell in front of her face. "Life only gets more complicated as you go on. Although I know it's tougher with your quirk and I am sorry for that."

"We don't know the answer, Kairi," Tsu warbled kindly, finishing off her parfait. "But we are all here to talk about anything and help you in any way we can." Momo's hand extended over the table-top and curled around her fingers. Smiling, she squeezed.

"We can take it as it comes, and be your confidantes through it all."

"Slow is best, especially since you said you would need time to figure out him and you and how he's feeling," Aoyama, said. Kairi dropped sadly.

"I doubt he has much affection for me. We get along well and understand each other but I don't know if it's anything romantic," she groaned. Disappointment pulled her down, heaving. Momo shrugged.

"He prefers you to anyone else, I can tell that."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't think anything has to change," Tsu added with a bright smile that allowed her tongue to fall out a little more. "Who knows, continuing on as normal could be the best thing for you two!"

"No matter how it turns out, together or not, you may still need your friendship," Aoyama added. His spoon clinked his glass as he spiraled out the rest of his mousse.

"Day by day," Momo reminded, eating the last of her sandwiches. Kairi speared the last corner of her cake and chewed it through thoughtfully. The anxiety and illness was being dampened by their understanding and warmth, settling her nerves.

"Okay, but what about these feelings and how they're spiking in class?"

"We'll get used to it, just like everything else," Tsu said. "We're also growing stronger in our resistance to your emotions. Things might be a little embarrassing and awkward for a few days, but we'll be fine." Kairi dropped her fork onto her plate and cheekily looked across the table.

"Okay, but don't blame any spontaneous make out sessions on me!" she giggled, relaxing in their presence.

"Ohh, I hope that happens! Can you imagine the scandal that would cause and the views it would get if we uploaded a video of it!" The boy across from them excitedly declared.

"Aoyama!" Tsu scolded, crossing her arms before him. He innocently winked at her. The frog girl groaned against and turned back to her friend. "For now, I don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying his friendship and company. And as Yaomomo said if there's an issue, you can share it with us." Chairs whined as they were slid back, and the finished dishes lay in wait to be cleaned. Momo stopped Kairi from pulling out her wallet and instead slapped a credit card down. In a few moments, their bill was retrieved and they stood, waiting. Kairi collapsed against each one of them in a hug, her rounded cheeks alight with a glowing pink. If such a blush could be a feeling, it billowed within her heart and soothed her interior.

"I'm lucky to have you all as great friends," she sighed, ruffling Aoyama's hair.

"Now, to discuss our elegant and elaborate of how you will charm and woo one beautiful Shoto Todoroki..." Aoyama began, a smirk playing on the edges of his lips. Kairi flung a light punch against his arm.

"Aoyama, no!"

"Aww, come on!" he moaned, rubbing where she slammed her fist. He pulled her in for another hug, rubbing down her spine. "You should know by now you are more than welcome to call me Yuga." Kairi giggled brightly.

The card was returned to Momo. Feeling much closer, they walked spritely across the street and towards they next stop. Only thirteen minutes later, their bus arrived and they were on their way back to the school. Kairi barely even noticed how crowded it was.


	40. Festival Preparations

The chalk clacked against the board at the front of the room, Iida far too eager to take down notes from any ideas he heard tossed about. The room was still tense from Kairi's awkward emotions flitting about, but it had fallen to a more manageable rate the last couple days. Guilt began to override her as she left Shoto's messages without a reply, and she decided to talk to him again. After the conversation she had, her friends made it sound as if it were best to continue on as they were. It was true – no matter how she felt, he still was her best friend. Even if was strange, even if what she felt was beyond friendship. She still cherished every part of what they had and it would be even more difficult to detach herself from him based on some stupid little feelings. While he still remained concerned for how absent her mind seemed to be, Kairi wrote it off and told him she was feeling better. They continued on as before, even if the room was still a bit antsy as her feelings spiked.

Yet somehow, the class did feel brighter and more enthusiastic after Kairi found some calm in the situation, especially when she was speaking with Shoto and her heart burst with fluttering elation. The atmosphere carried on being positive even if it was met with some awkward tension. It was unclear to her what the discussion unlocked, but she felt herself a little more tamed and better to focus in the classroom afterwards.

Today, 2-A was spending extra time after class to discuss and plan what they were to be doing for their culture festival project in just six weeks' time. Aizawa had promised them the teachers were lightening their hero work to give them more focus time for the festival, but it was still going to be a heavy load. As always, Iida was taking the work seriously and was waiting for any suggestion for what it was their class was going to contribute.

"If I recall, Mr. Aizawa told us all a few days ago to begin thinking of what we could do," he told them sternly, walking in front of their teacher's desk as if he were in charge of the room.

"I thought a hero demonstration might be something to enjoy," Momo suggested.

"The third years did that last year," Kirishima reminded, reclining in his seat. "It didn't go very well. Some were amazed, but others were involved by the lack of feeling immersed and some of the quirks damaged the room. I don't see teachers allowing us to do that again."

"Yeah, but it would be real kick ass, wouldn't it?" Bakugo chuckled. Kirishima smiled his agreement.

"I think I came prepared with the perfect idea!" Iida began, dramatically placing his hands to his hips with pride. "What if we demonstrate both the marriage of hard work, knowledge, and add in physical obstacles where they could feel like a hero! Really show the strength of our school!" He smiled, believing this was the best idea yet.

"What are you talking about, Iida?" Momo asked, looking just as confused as the majority of the class around her.

"A trivia game show with an added obstacle course!" he declared happily, and sent his awe across the room, expecting everyone to jump into agreement. Instead, much of the class sounded horrified, or some combination of that with bored. Yuga was practically falling asleep into his hand at his desk. Jiro rolled her eyes. Uraraka tried to politely smiled, but it was clearly strained. Izuku, leaning against his desk, merely turned his gaze away to avoid Iida's eyes. Koda scratched his head nervously. Standing beside each other, Shoto and Kairi exchanged looks, having a short conversation with just their eyes. _What do you think of this idea? Of course not, are you serious? You're right, it's ridiculous._ Sensing the reception between the feel of the room and the expressions, Iida slumped his shoulder and frowned his disappointment.

"I guess... in further reflection, it is something of a mess."

"I do think the idea of having the parents and visitors involved is a really good one though!" Hagakure enthused, shoes hopping to show that she was jumping excitedly. "Maybe we could do something along the lines of that?"

"It does seem like a better idea," Kaminari agreed, folding his arms behind his head. "Rather than a presentation which could get dull if not done right."

"Being more immersed in an experience might allow guests to linger and become more interested in what we come up with," Ojiro quietly replied from his place in the corner."

"Perhaps we could try a mirror maze, and dim the lights to make the path harder find. It would be rather amusing the see how many guests hit the mirrors before they leave," Tokoyami said darkly. Several students looked at him worriedly.

"I'm going to say a no on that idea," Iida said, pushing to move on.

"You know..." Mineta began to snicker, a terrifying sign to everyone in the class. He held his hands together, comically tapping his fingers together with devious intent. "A maid café is always a popular idea. We have the perfect amount of girls in our class to simulate a maid café atmosphere, and people generally enjoy them!" Just as he was rising out of his seat, ready to explode from the excitement bursting from him, Ashido swiped a textbook off a nearby bookshelf and slapped it against his cheek. The small boy toppled from his seat and smacked onto his back, not a soul rushing to help him.

"_Hard. No,"_ Ashido hissed.

"I don't really think I'd really stand out as a maid," Hagakure answered honestly.

"It's a bit overdone," said Tsu.

"I'm not going to wear something like that," said Momo.

"Yeah, we can just throw that in the 'fuck that' pile," Kairi mumbled. Shoto chuckled lightly. Her spirit flew.

"1-D has decided to do a maid café this year, anyway," Iida sighed. "And it's true – a maid café is a bit overdone, even if people enjoy them." Kairi rippled with discomfort.

"Gross," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Any other ideas?" Yuga launched from his seat, and bowed gracefully in front of the class as if they were honored to see him speaking up.

"Perhaps something like a spa experience? To really rejuvenate the skin and leave our guests looking their best!"

"That sounds kinda fun actually!" Uraraka said.

"Except spas usually include manicures," Jiro remarked, dully turning away from the conversation.

"That doesn't seem to be too bad of an idea," Sato said.

"Do you really think that many people here know how to do nails or give massages?!' Bakugo scowled, heavily rolling his eyes at each suggestion. Mineta scrambled from where he lay on the floor, eyes aglow at the magic words.

"I am _excellent_ at massages!" he declared.

"I don't want to know why," Iida groaned.

"You know that a spa experience doesn't just have manicures, right?" Shoto said, waving his pencil around as his spoke. "You would also need to do pedicures. No – don't reply. I don't really want to know if you're into that Mineta. And most people here wouldn't be comfortable with giving random people massages."

"Not to mention a calming atmosphere is impossible," Bakugo quipped, throwing his head in Kairi's direction. Her mind clicked, anger snapping through her brain. Her foot stepped forward and Shoto gripped her wrist to stop her. Her skin buzzed under his touch and she froze. He shook his head, reminding her to stay out of another argument. Fingers touching her skin cast a soothing spell over her. A glance at his eyes leveled her anger and she remained quiet.

"We're just going to remove the idea all together," Iida said nervously. "Any other ideas?"

"I did kind like an idea of a game," Izuku mumbled. Iida glowed again. "N-not your game! That is not to say your idea was terrible, I just think something that would make the guests invested and want to stay til the end to see who won would be fun!"

"Maybe like something that would pit us against the guests!" Uraraka said, growing in her agreement. Izuku nodded. "That's a good idea Deku!"

"That certainly would demonstrate the values of teamwork and make the guests stay longer to enjoy our work," Iida agreed. With no further remarks from the class, he turned to write "GUESSING GAME" on the board, and then swiveled back.

"It would have to be a big game that allows for a lot of people to play," Tsu said, looking across the room. "Both for us and the attendees."

"What about a game with puzzles? You can put a lot of people in that, and that would also help with teamwork?" Kairi quietly said, interest growing in her as she felt drawn in by the excited static of the conversation. Shoto looked over at her approvingly, as if proud she were throwing in her voice. She warmed with a flourish and looked over at her feet, smiling.

"Like an escape room?" Iida thought, eyes widening. "I suppose we could reset that every hour..."

"How would we be involved in that?" Jiro scoffed. "Unless we stayed in the room and moved stuff around to make more difficult."

"Or we could be like those horror movies and pretend to kill them if they don't figure out how to get out," Tokoyami said calmly. Kairi looked at him with confused terror, matching must of the class. Bakugo stepped two spaces closer to Kirishima, away from the bird kid.

"That... might be an interesting idea..." Shoto muttered. Those within an earshot gasped and stepped away from him, surprised by his response. He immediately blanched. "That... isn't what a meant! Obviously... I was just thinking about the slightly darker side of things... Kairi, didn't you say your dad went to a murder mystery party once and essentially ruined it?" She giggled, and nodded.

"He did. He said the clues didn't make sense and was frustrated that he got it wrong, and left declaring 'This isn't how the police do it!' and he stomped away and was never invited again!" Warmth lilted her voice as she cackled at the memory, of how angrily he stopped into the house and grumbled for hours about what a waste of time it was. "It isn't fun watching crime shows or movies with him either. He either figures it out right away, or complains that it's incredibly wrong. He enjoyed Agatha Christie though. He thought the stories were well written." As she continued to speak with mirthful nostalgia, the class exchanged looks.

"A murder mystery party?" Momo thought aloud, as if declaring what everyone else was already thinking. "That could be something. We could declare someone's been killed and have the guests try to work in groups to try and figure out the answer."

"Oh wait! There's a movie based on that game, _Clue_!" Izuku answered, jumping in. "Didn't it have multiple endings and each ending had a different killer?"

"Maybe we could do that," Kirishima said. "We could have different scenarios and in each one there's another killer." Iida snapped his fingers and began to write out the suggestions on the board. The more each student spoke up, he added to the list and within fifteen minutes they had a cohesive list of their plan. All students seemed to grow excited about the idea of playing out a murder mystery for guests to enjoy and once the rough plan was constructed, they became eager to work on it right away.

The initial idea was for it to be presented like a murder mystery dinner party, and all the guests were to be welcomed as if they were joining the party. Recognizing it would be impractical to design a whole meal for every scenario rotation, they decided instead on a cocktail party design; with hors d'oeuvres and snacks, and some tea and juices. Doing some research of classic murder mystery tropes and characters, they decided that some of the students would play as some of these classic characters and would also be considered guests at this party, but would be the only ones who would be the suspects. Those attending the festival would then have to collect clues, interview the "suspects" and figure out who it was. They had a few scenarios with a different suspect and would rotate them. They would need to set a schedule in a pamphlet to let the guests know when each scenario started, but after each set they would release them and take some time before beginning another. It also was a good opportunity for other guests to potentially come back and try out a new scenario.

"We have twenty-one students, however," Iida said, inspecting the pieces on the board he had written. "That might seem a bit overcrowded, doesn't? That's a lot of suspects to whittle down in such a short amount of time."

"I may not be a convincing player..." Hagakure chuckled shyly. "I'm not sure I would really act and stay in character. Plus they may just think I did it since they couldn't see me do it."

"Well, I suppose not everyone is going to be comfortable acting anyway..." Momo said. "What if we split down this list then? My father holds parties all the time. There's usually staff walking around and handing out food and drinks, and the parties are often like the ones shown in those movie clips except more moderns. Plus, we have to have a butler, right? Those who don't really want to act as a character can be the staff."

"So we _can_ have maids?!" Mineta almost screamed.

"They won't be maids like _that_," Iida scoffed. "Besides, the focus will be on the mystery and not the maids."

"Maybe the staff can still be involved in the mystery though," Uraraka said, nearly flailing from all the excited planning. "They're the eyes and ears of the mansion, right? The guests can ask them questions, and help give them hints. Plus if one of our suspects is a butler, he'll be mixed in with the rest of the staff and it will be more of a surprise!"

"Good idea, Ochaco!" Izuku said. She smiled, growing pink.

"Thanks!" Iida hurriedly wrote down the idea.

"Then, I guess... we could write down everyone who would like to be on the staff and who would like to be a suspect then?" Iida said. Met with nods, they went around the room and asked who would like to be a staff member and who would like to be a suspect. They all decided, for an extra element of fun and to further the immersion, the suspects would have characters, professions, and they would need to dress the part to fit. As the activity formed, excitement was bubbling around them. Even Kairi, while she mostly sat back and shook or nodded her head to voice her opinion, was feeling a bouncing erraticism inside her as she fell into the building of the mystery. It was something different from the norm, and she didn't have many experiences with plays or anything that wasn't some sort of coffee shop or a game for a culture project.

"Kairi?" Momo finally, asked, turning to her to collect her name.

"You know, I think... I think it might be kind of fun to see if my father is going to pin me as a suspect or see if I can implement anything he's pointed out to me on TV over the years... I might just... maybe..." Feeling shy and insecure, but determined and brimming with enthusiasm, she twiddled her fingers again and shyly looked at her feet. "I think I want to try to be a suspect." While her answer was first met with surprised gasps, they quickly fell to proud smiles. Shoto in particular grinned brightly, glowing at her. She brushed her hair in her face, hiding her pink blossom cheeks behind the blue strip.

"I'd like to be a suspect too," Shoto said. Momo wrote down his name and continued around the room. By the end of it, all the players were collected and they narrowed down their choices. For the final part of the project before they were released, Iida and Momo wrote down the roles and placed them in the hats, with F or M visible on the back in case it was important for that character to have a specific gender (according to the tropes). Passing it around, someone would first pick a name and then hand it back to Iida. He would whisper something to Momo, who would then write to down. After Mineta had drawn the name he had picked, Iida turned pale at the title scribbled. Shaking his head, he skipped saying anything to Momo and had Shoto draw a name. Holding both pieces of paper, he placed them in front of Momo and whispered, softly. Her eyes bulged, looking back over the strips of paper before slowly nodding. She looked back up and grimaced apologetically, with Kairi being the last in line to draw. and then realizing Kairi had been the last in the line to draw. Her friend only shook her head and mouthed "I'm sorry!" Kairi mouthed "Why?" but at that moment, Iida began to read off the names and her question was soon answered.

"With all the names in... I shall be the host butler! Aoyama, you are our resident billionaire playboy!"

"I shall of course be charming as usual!" Yuga chuckled.

"Uraraka, you shall be playing the attractive socialite flirt..." Izuku and Uraraka blushed simultaneously. "Ashido, you are our conservative teacher. Midoriya, the recluse writer.. Yaoyorozu, our young ingenue. Kaminari, the gentleman gardener. Mineta, the veteran. And finally our newlywed lovers, the Lord and Lady shall be played by Todoroki and Hoshino!"

Kairi's blush disappeared and left behind the palest sheen to her skin. Momo looked at her horrified, Yuga smiled dreamily at the two and Tsu let out the meekest of nervous _ribbits_.

Shoto only grinned and pressed a hand between her shoulder blades. It burned and rippled through Kairi violently.

"Shall we head home then, _my dear_?" he asked, voice full of comical teasing. Kairi swallowed and held her throat tight, suppressing with all her might a startled scream.

* * *

**If that whole exchange about name drawing and what Iida frowned at was confusing, it's explained in the next chapter, I promise! Thanks for all the new readers! :)**


	41. Whatever Is Comfortable

It had been hard to fault Iida for switching the roles. Momo had explained to Kairi after class, that Mineta was originally drawn to play the part of the Lord. However, when Iida saw that was what he had drawn for his part, he didn't feel comfortable with Mineta being the one to play a newlywed character. Gratefully, Kairi mentally thanked Iida for his foresight and was comforted in knowing pairing her and Shoto together was no trick anyone had intentionally come up with – it was meant to keep Mineta from finding an excuse to do his... usual thing. Still, everyone was already satisfied with their roles, and Kairi was afraid that asking someone to switch would rouse suspicion. In addition, it might also make Shoto wonder why she was so offended at playing his wife. Giving in to her defeat, Kairi accepted. Tsu and Yuga tried to assure her that it could work in their favor – given how close the two were, their relationship could add to the realism. Plus, she at least felt comfortable around him, for the most part. It was hard to say if she could find it in her to stay in character with anyone else.

So of course, she needed to surrender to her acceptance when they met again and began to form the finer details of their story. Iida suggested they turn the desks into a circle around the room for better communication with each other.

"Do those who are just part of the serving staff really need to be here?" said Bakugo, glaring impatiently at Iida and Momo.

"It's vital you are," Iida answered, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "If you are going to be involved with helping with the clues and having conversations with our guests, it's vital you are aware of everyone's personalities and their whereabouts." The kid rolled his eyes and reclined back in his seat, already growing bored.

"And I agree that with each scenario change, the only person who should know who did it should be the killer. That makes it exciting for us too," Momo said, moving her pencil across her notepad.

"Where are we going to be fitted for our wardrobe?" Yuga asked. "Do you plan to make all our costumes?" Momo wrinkled her mouth in doubt.

"I might be able to make some elements but there's twenty-one students in our class and they each have different measurements. Trying to reference the style you need for your costumes, plus the measurements, plus the number... that's quite a lot for me to make. And some of you would have several pieces if we're sticking with a more vintage style of clothing. If you can find something in your own closets or parents' that work, or could even rent pieces, that would help things out as well."

"We also need to discuss the script as well," Iida reminded, tapping his pencil against the front of the desk.

"I thought it was going to be more like improv," Ashido said.

"There will be elements, such as when you are communicating with our guests and reacting to different things," said Iida. "There will be a lot of that, for certain. But there still should be something of a script for the beginning of our drama and some stuff for the end and the middle. You don't have to memorize things word for word, but you should at least know what you are going to say. You will need to know your alibis for each scenario, but I figure we could use some notes for everyone's benefit!" Kairi begin to sink, as each new addition added another weight to how heavy this was going to be. Her pulse quickened as she grew overwhelmed with each new detail.

"Most importantly, we should get to know our characters," Momo said. "So we should come up with backgrounds and personalities for them. Of course, I don't think I see much of an issue with everyone adding something into their character's background. As long as it meets approval."

"Oooh! Could my character have seen some terrible things in war but was able to work past it all simply by the magical cure of the lovely nurses who helped in along the way?" Mineta popped up saying. "And now he is medically in need of women to help tend to him to keep away the darkness inside of him?"

"That's offensive in so many ways, I don't even know how to unpack that!" Kairi jumped up from her seat, blurting her words with deadly eyes staring him down. He whimpered and melted down into his seat. The class remained quiet, content with what she had said.

"Which is exactly why we are going to tell you no," Iida sighed.

"I think we're just going to come up with a character description for you to follow," Momo said, writing more down in front of her. "What are some motives we could have?" As if they had planned it, several students automatically looked to Kairi. The surprise attention in unison shrunk her, and her body tugged at her to vanish down the hall and disappear from their expectant gaze. She curled her fingers inwards.

"Um, I guess I have no idea what you want me to say..." she said slowly, awkwardly shifting in her seat.

"Your dad's a detective, right?" Kaminari said. "You must know something about murder investigations."

"Yep but my dad doesn't always do homicides. I mean he has done them... but he's not a normal detective. Most detectives specialize in missing persons or homicide or white collar or narcotics... His track record and his quirk has given him special permission to take on cases in other departments. He mostly deals with fraud."

"But he's given special permission to take on other cases?" Tokoyami asked. Kairi nodded.

"If it's a difficult case or if something about it really bothers him. They don't usually allow police detectives to do that, but my dad is driven by compassion and his quirk is useful."

"But he _has_ done homicides?" Mineta asked. Kairi sighed with annoyance and nodded.

"He's done three as far as I know," she said.

"What was the reasoning for those?" asked Jiro, a little more interested in the conversation now.

"I'm a detective's daughter, that doesn't mean he automatically tells me everything and it's not like he can tell me all the details because it's confidential. I only get vague details or details available to the public. Sometimes I get more information after it's been solved, but that's only on occasion. It's not like it makes me an expert either. Most of what I know comes from when he's screaming at the TV." She shrugged. When the room was met with silence, she leaned against her hand and blew at the strand of blue in her face. "Yes, I know what the top reasons are for murder. But I'm just saying don't come to me expecting me to be perfect in knowing everything about murderers just because my dad is a cop. The top reasons for murder are crimes of passion, money, and revenge. In that order." Iida and Momo simultaneously wrote down her response. "There are other reasons people do it, of course. We decided the victim was going to be the owner of the house and party host? He's a rich bastard, right? It's not uncommon for elite wealthy folk to mistreat their employees and cause them to be disgruntled. It's possible some of them may have seen no way out and decided to kill him." Momo slowed her writing and looked away from her desk. Her brow wrinkled with concern and her voice dropped to barely a whisper.

"Not... all of the elite and wealthy are... terrible." Guilt crushed Kairi. She winced.

"I said it's not uncommon, Momo," she quickly said. "Not that every one of them is terrible and I absolutely didn't mean your family at all."

"You are right of course..." she conceded, sounding brighter but a little depressed at her confession. "Some of them are rather terrible. My father cut ties with a couple of them for a reason. I suppose it could make sense for some of these people to have grudges with him."

"If he's a tycoon, he could have made a lot of enemies!" Uraraka suggested.

"There are many reasons why someone like him could have ruined others' lives," Izuku said. "I suppose that could make any of them want him dead." As the room buzzed with excitement again, more ideas were thrown out and Kairi mentally vanished within the nose of everything. Momo and Iida worked diligently to take down everyone's ideas and discuss the best solutions and scenarios for everyone. Kairi clasped her hands together and watched the discussion much like a ping pong tournament. With each moment, their project continued to grow and it felt bigger. She sunk into regret, wondering if she had made a mistake in deciding to take a step outside of her comfort zone and agreeing to be a player. And of course, she ended up in a part where she would need to act opposite someone. Of all people, it had to be Shoto. Certain the gods of fate were laughing at her, she streaked her fingers through her hair and tucked in her chin, hiding her gaze from the rest of the vibrant class. Sick insecurity stretched her through and of course Shoto, who had been sitting beside her the whole time, caught onto how she was feeling. Her emotions brought the electric atmosphere down, but they still bounced ideas off of each other and were consistent in the movement of discussion.

"Is this making you uncomfortable?" Shoto asked lowly. Kairi mumbled something, but it sounded rather negative. "You don't have to do it."

"But then someone else who wanted to be a staff member would take my place," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Is it the character?" he asked. "Maybe they could change it to something else."

"That's going to bring us back to the beginning, and besides my character is tied to yours. It would not only be changing one character's story, but two. I couldn't do that to you and I couldn't stress the class out more with that. Besides, they already seem so excited and I don't want to disrupt that." He breathed heavily.

"Our characters are tied together quite a bit. Is there anything I can do to make this a little more comfortable for you?" Kairi shrugged. He scowled, staring at the top of his desk with deep thought. "What is it you're worried about?"

"I don't act, for one. I mean I have, when I had to when I was a kid in the stupid plays they force you to participate in. I have no idea how I will do. Making a fool out of myself and flubbing everything by going out of character. Having to wear a ridiculous dress and make myself up like a friggin' doll. Having strangers talk to me. My emotions disrupting everything." _Not to mention, having to play your wife is going to send me into overload with all of these complicated feelings!_

"Then why did you agree to act in it?" She shrugged.

"I thought my dad might be amused in it. I wanted to feel like I could contribute. I wanted to help... support the class, I guess? I wanted to dip my toes into something else, I wanted to try reaching beyond my comfort zone? I'm starting to think it was a mistake though and I am going to ruin the whole culture project." Shoto then raised his hand, drawing the attention of Iida and Momo.

"Yes, Todoroki?"

"I would like to suggest a change to the Lord and Lady characters, with Kairi's permission," he began.

"What are you doing?" Kairi hissed, leaning over to quickly pull his hand down. Her face burned the minute her fingers touched his wrist.

"And what would that be?" asked Iida.

"They're newlyweds, right? I imagine they're so enamored with each other, they're only interested in each other. They want to keep some distance from the others and have little care for interacting with the guests." As he continued to speak, Kairi dropped into her seat, exchanging looks with Momo who appeared just as shocked as she. "They've attended the party only out of obligation and don't really care and only want to pay attention to each other. Perhaps they're even a bit judgmental."

"Uhh..." was all Kairi could say. She looked over and up at Shoto, questioning what his logic was and why his suggestion had to send her chest through all floors of the school.

"Hmm... that could put a spin on things," Iida said. "Kairi? How do you feel about this?"

"Uhh..." she said again, and angrily asked Shoto with her eyes.

"This way you have a reason to stay a little more in the background and avoid the guests' questions," he replied out of the corner of her mouth. The torrent in her was spiraling with fury and embarrassment, but then gratitude fell into the mix. Her body shook with a strange contracting ripple, terrified of this new development and its implications. But her center also fluttered ecstatically at his consideration for her and his finding a way around it. Glowing with a hint of rage, she reluctantly nodded before attempting to disappear again.

"I suppose that ties up the bulk of the characters and stories," Momo said. "Perhaps we should move onto the menu. Sato, you already offered to do the desserts, correct?" He nodded proudly.

"I can cook!" Kairi blurted, manipulated by her own mess of emotions trying to untangle themselves. Her hand clapped against her mouth. "That is I mean... I have a little bit of experience, cooking supper when my dad had late nights and trying to find ways to improve them. I could maybe... try to make some?" It would help distract her from everything else and help give her some focus. Cooking was soothing and a little therapeutic. Cooking mass quantities would take a while and might just be the thing she needed to sort her mind through it. If she completely destroyed this project because of something she did in character, at least she could still feel like she contributed a little with her food. Momo smiled warmly and began to write more information down, just as the suggestions for the food began to pour again. Drawing herself away from the talks and feeling she had spoken enough for the day, she stuck herself to her chair and tapped her fingers against her legs.

"Thank you..." she whispered out of the side of her mouth to Shoto. "But I am concerned my dad might make fun of me."

"Because you're going to pretend to be all smitten?" _Yes. Pretend._ Kairi gnawed at her lip, unsure of how to answer that. "I'm not going to take you into a corner and snog your face off, if you're concerned about that." While the comment itself flung Kairi's gut around, she also snickered loudly at his phrasing. The comment was slightly out of his character, and the undisturbed tonal shift in his speech amused her. He shook his head, confused about what was so funny, but smiled with her.

"I didn't expect that..." she said, and pressed her hands together, tightly. Nervous fingers tangled together. Heat crawled up her cheeks. "But maybe some... you know... l-light touching of some kind would help the... illusion. Being in character and what not."

"Only as much as you're comfortable with." That consideration again. It always pulled at her soul and left her suspended in a warm, infectious heat she was addicted to. Sitting in her own flitting for a minute and letting her heart dance in the comfort of his words, she tasted her own careful response before speaking.

"N-not too much," she slowly said. "But I think holding hands or an arm around the waist... none of that is that far from stuff you already do, I think just be a little more... romantic about it? Not that I'm one to speak, but just you know... basing on movies."

"Yeah," Shoto said briskly. Her chest halted. Kairi hadn't remembered much affections between her own parents either but she had seen a little. Shoto had seen... none. He had nothing to base it on. Just what he saw in movies and TV as well.

"Same goes for you though," Kairi added without a second thought. "Nothing you're not comfortable with either."

"I think I can manage those things, at least," he said. He looked down, to sit her fingers still nervously twirling around each other. He reached over and placed a hand on one of them, wrapping his soothing warmth around her. She felt her cheekbones blossom again and looked away from the handsome smile that was sitting on his lips once more. Instead, she looking over at Momo, who was continuing to watch them with shock. She looked over at Yuga who was around to erupt from all the pride beaming from his face. Tsu saw them, of course, but she was trying her hardest to avoid them and not draw attention to them.

This culture project was going to be a lot bigger adventure than any of them had realized.

* * *

**Happy 2020, all :)**


	42. Finding a Fit

Twenty pages filled, front and back. Characters etched in a rush and resulting in some regretfully poorly worded sentences. Kairi winced, struggling to read the next word. What kind of use were her notes going to be if she couldn't read them? The responsibilities of this role was growing bigger by the day, and it had been two weeks since they had really begun to plan this project. Roles had been chosen and decided. Details had been discussed. Motives for each character had been laid out. Momo and Iida were hard at work with the clues and evidence after they collecting everyone's input. The correct responses were drafted and the semblance of a script they were loosely working off of was written. The students were instructed to get to know their characters and become them, know them well. The stress was beginning to push against Kairi, roughly.

In addition to becoming familiar with this character, she had to remember to keep her emotions in check. That was often a daily struggle but it had become more difficult what with the Shoto issue in tow. Working beside and acting as his newlywed wife was going to test her emotions in ways unknown; in addition she would need to keep herself under control so she wouldn't disrupt the emotions of the guests. She needed to ensure they had a good time and enjoyed their project. Thankfully, Iida and Momo had promised that with each set they would draw a new scenario. With each scenario, the only people who would be informed about the real killer would Momo, Iida, and the actual killer if it was not one of them. This took some stress off Kairi as she was certain her emotions couldn't give anything away if she wasn't the killer. She decided not to think about how it would be if she was.

Aside from that all that, she had her regular schoolwork and was going to be needing to start thinking about the foods she was going to be making. As it was for a school project for the festival, she had access to the home economics kitchen and simply needed to ask the school for the ingredients she would need. The plate was piling, but it was welcome in a sense. Focusing on memorizing the traits of her characters, homework, and the recipes helped to draw her mind away from the complications with Shoto. Of course that was when she wasn't in the room with him. The students stayed after almost every day to work hard on their project and he was always nearby. School, which sometimes included light training, staying after for a couple of hours to work on the project, going to the dorm, supper, homework, spending more time working on the project, bed. There was little time to think about him if he wasn't near – so she only had to worry about him during breaks at school and the two hours. It was a little manageable at least. Those two hours quickly became the most dreaded part of her day and also the part she looked forward to the most. She was a mess.

Since they were following tropes and stereotypes of murder mysteries in media, it was of course a regular English setting. Fearing they would once again expect her to be an expert on all things English, Kairi immediately tried to make herself invisible from the rest of them. Thankfully, someone seemed to pick up on this and avoided her. So Kairi's character was a noblewoman of upper class society, becoming a Lady when she married the Lord. As long as they picked accurate names to reflect vintage English names, they were allowed to choose their own. Through some back and forth, Shoto and Kairi decided on the family name of Thorncott. It was preposterously ridiculous, which fit in perfect with the silliness of the tropes they were implementing. Despite how much Kairi made fun of Shoto for it, he had decided on the name Lord Tobias Thorncott. Immediately, Kairi knew she wanted to claim the name Iris Thorncott. Shoto asked her how she came to that decision so quickly, but she couldn't answer. While she flourished red, it was a little unclear to her why she wanted that name.

Kairi leaned across her desk, positioned in that stupid circle again. "Optimal for equal eye contact and participation!" Iida declared, even though half the class chose to be wait staff and had no need to pay as close attention. Discussion droned on further. They were planning on having practice runs in a week. That would mean needing to track down a proper costume together. And since she was going to be a proper, elegant noblewoman attending a fancy party... that was going to be some kind of gown. Just another element to add to her overloading list. Kairi's finger swiped through her calendar. It had been over three weeks since her last appointment with her therapist; and she desperately needed one. But there was no time. They were too far into this for her to back out and everyone was relying on her. She couldn't sacrifice any time.

The angry of her phone's notification paused the discussion, and her chest whipped with embarrassment. Kairi retrieved her phone and sheepishly gave an apologetically look across the circle. When they continued on, she picked up her phone and opened the news alert that had come through. Her eyebrows propped at the headline and she hurriedly tapped at Shoto's shoulder.

"What?" he whispered over to her.

"It's QuirKey. Apparently they've announced the first successful recipient. An eighteen year old girl who was originally quirkless." Kairi tilted her phone his direction, so he could get a better look at her. She rolled her thumb further down the article. "Looks like she received ice powers."

"Huh..." he muttered thoughtfully. The center of his brow wrinkled. "She chose ice powers because she wanted to be like Elsa?"

"Guess so."

"I hope she understands it's going to take awhile before she understands how to use it. She may become more like Elsa than she originally bargained for and may have trouble controlling it."

"It says that she's going to be working with a trainer and she's going to go through some quirk counseling," Kairi said, reading over the remainder of the contents. She frowned. "She says she's happy though and she wants to do whatever she can to help people... I don't know... maybe QuirKey isn't actually doing anything ethically questionable." Shoto shrugged, but didn't look convinced.

Two weeks left, and the pressure was suffocating. Shoto had asked her if she wanted to work privately with him to make sure they knew their characters and the relationship between them felt genuine. Kairi left him without much of answer, terrified about what sort of possibilities that situation could allow to happen. From the beginning this felt as if it was a horrible idea, and now it was proving to be nearly impossible. She was going to break, she knew it.

"Hold still for just a moment," Momo sighed once again, trying to pull on the zipper at Kairi's back. With stress surmounting everything, Kairi had continued to fidget worse than ever, making this shopping trip rather difficult. Worse still was how she could hear in her friend's tone the emotional weight she was putting on her. She could feel her agitation and there was nothing to be done. Usually, Momo was so good about ignoring the emotions for the most part – but there wasn't a shortage of tasks for Momo either. Happily, she had agreed to help Kairi find a dress for this project even though there was a stack of other items for her to tend to. She even wanted to bring Kairi and treat her to a more upscale boutique but Kairi said no, feeling more comfortable in a thrift store. The clothes may have had more of an authentic vintage look which she used to try and get Momo to agree going with her. Momo also could quite clearly feel how such a shop would make her uncomfortable. Sitting on one of their couches would feel a crime and even though her father made enough money for them to be comfortable, they were still pretty frugal with many things. The only time a Hoshino would be caught dead in one of the designer boutiques would be if there was a crime and her father had to investigate. With little explanation, Momo agreed to heading with Kairi to a thrift store.

While Kairi immediately headed to where the gowns often were, Momo was fascinated by some of the older pieces, wondering what some things were and shocked that prices were so cheap. She didn't understand the organization and was impressed by the eclectic assortment of items in the store. After shouting back at her, Momo joined her again and helped her find some pieces that would work.

"Okay, well this one is... a bit baggy around the waist..." she politely told Kairi as she looked at her in the mirror.

"A bit?" Kairi snorted, and fluffed the front of the loose fabric. "It makes me look pregnant, Momo!"

"Ah, well... Okay, that's true. But that's fixable right?"

"And the shoulders are _insane_," she hissed, shaking her head. With a hand, she motioned for Momo to remove it. "Not this one. Next."

"That's four nos and one maybe..." Momo said, helping with the zipper again. She shot Kairi a look as she tried to shift awkwardly in her step. Kairi gulped and forced herself to stiffen, giving her friend a moment to unleash the dress from her.

"I'm excited for the festival... but I'll be happy when this is over."

"It is proving to be more work than I anticipated, but I think the visitors will have fun with it." Kairi stepped out and reached for the ghastly pink one. It was a horrid dusty tone, but the style felt right.

"How are the scenarios coming together?" she asked, trying her hardest to distract herself from the unpleasantness of constant changing dresses and avoiding any discussion about Shoto.

"I think Iida and I have them all in place by now. Clues and observations have all been decided on and we're just making sure they all work together correctly and fit each character. It's been exhausting, I haven't been able to get the proper amount of sleep for this. I'm glad the teachers have decided to be light on our hero training." Kairi nodded, though a part of her disagreed. Maybe tougher exercises would have allowed for more distractions and she could have all but forgotten about Shoto outside of working with him.

"Yeah... oh god, this one has buttons..." she moaned, pulling on the sleeves. "That feels like an instant no."

"Just give a chance, Kairi," Momo said, pulling at the sides and moving her fingers over the snaps at the back.

"Buttons just feel less secure," she said, feeling the snug of the fabric just below her chest. Widened pupils expanded at her visage in the mirror. Her hand reached to cover the front of her dress, ample cheeks reddening. "Flat out no. Get this off me, Momo."

"Why, what's...?" She leaned over and snickered at the reflection. "Oh! Oh I see..."

The dress had something of a lower front but as Kairi had only a moderately sized bosom, it hadn't seemed to be that much of a big deal on the rack. Except now it seemed as if something about the fabric was designed to give her a boost, making her assets look quite a bit larger.

"This dress is hideous, has buttons, and will not be school appropriate!" Her panicked voice cried while Momo began to work at the buttons on her back, as quick as she could. "Hurry please, I don't want this thing on me!" her pulse knocked against her, surging with desperation.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Kairi!" Her voice was sharp enough to cut through her, causing Kairi to feel a slice of guilt. "We're in a dressing room just us, and it's not as if Shoto is standing right here looking at you!"

"It's not about Shoto!" she said. Though, it was a lie. A good part of it was Shoto. The image of standing beside him wearing _that_ was what sailed through her brain the minute she saw it. Momo just quirked a brow, feeling the guilt in that lie, before she finished the dress. Kairi slinked out of it and took the next navy one from Momo.

"I'm sorry I snapped," she said as she gave her the dress.

"No, it's... it's fine. Things are intense right now. We're usually training to be heroes not working on a massive class project where everyone is expected to participate and work together. We just happened to choose one that requires a little more thought and planning than other classes might have come up with. Also more food and scenery."

"It is... quite a bit of work..." Momo said, hesitating to avoid reveal how much work it actually was on the side of the class rep and vice class rep's sides. She pulled at the sides of the dress and easily pulled the zipper to where it stopped – right at the small of her back. "Though, you have it the toughest."

"I don't think that's fair to say," Kairi said, frowning at herself in the reflection. The blue satin clung close to her body, fitting her form. It was a higher neck, collar stopping just below her collarbone. She spun, gasping at the low back and brightening again. "You're doing a lot, more than you usually do. Both you and Iida, except Iida seems to thrive on pressure. I worry about him sometimes."

"Maybe but at least this is usual school stuff..." Momo said. She pulled on Kairi's arm, spinning her slightly. "This one is kind of nice."

"Eh."

"I just mean you are... stepping outside of your comfort zone. Trying to jump in and participate, more than you were even ask to. Playing a major part and you've agreed to help cook? Especially when I know you probably want nothing more than to just disappear in the background." The last words rang true. Kairi wanted to just be another body in the room, getting the grade. But something inspired her to participate, a force pulling at her to be a part of it all. To stand out a little more, to want to please her classmates and help them out wherever she could. Even though it was stacking up and growing heavy on everything else. Something kept urging her on, providing her with a want to do this. It also helped that... she had several supporters on her side. Momo and Tsu were her biggest supporters of course, but Yuga and Izuku were also always rooting her on. Momo was there for every stop of it. Yuga was certain she was going to be so fantastic, she would blow everyone away. Tsu promised her everyone was there to support her no matter what she did. That they knew she had the ability to do all of this, but even if she messed up or even if she decided to step away from it, they would still support her and not hold anything against her. Izuku had no doubt she was going to nail every part of it. And then... there was Shoto.

For everything, he had helped her the whole way through. He had asked if she wanted to work on things privately, and she ran away terrified because she didn't know how to be around him normally anymore. He was constantly asking about certain elements of his character were okay with her whether it was important to her character or not. Sometimes he suggested things for their interactions together and he always ran it by her first. He was constantly checking in with how her own work was going; if the responsibility was too much for her, if she needed any help with her homework, if there was anything he could do to make things easier. And with each question her heart raced a little faster and she liked him just a little more. The feelings were all becoming a mess of tangled embarrassment, shock, and a strange elated high every time he even got in the proximity of her. Even when the responsibilities were getting to the point of just being too much. He was there, right by her side. Waiting with her to talk things out, employing any methods he knew would help her calm down. He would try to reach for her hand, knowing that something about feeling skin against her own helped, but lately she had continued to draw away. He never questioned it, and just did everything according to her own comfort. He would count with her. He would drop a blanket on her. He would speak quietly with her. While this event stressed her out more than she dreamed it would, he was there to guide her through everything and move at her pace. Yet every time he mentioned switching roles with some else, her body gripped with dread and she immediately told him no. She had to go through with it. For her friends, her classmates. She had to help bring this fun experience to others, even those she didn't know. She had to do it for Shoto, already locked in on a role that was directly connected to his. Most of all, she had to do it for herself. To prove she could. To know she could succeed in something impossible, stressful, and come out of it knowing she succeeded. Her quirk needed this, her emotions needed this. This was as much of an emotional exercise for her than anything else. It was vital she do this.

"I do," Kairi replied. "But I can't..."

"I... can't imagine what you're dealing with," Momo said with as much empathy as she could. "But knowing how tough this is for you, and you're going through it anyway, and finding the strength to stop yourself before you hit a breakdown... you have no idea how strong you are, Kairi. And I admire that. So much. In so many ways you are a stronger hero than many of us." Kairi blinked, a few touched droplets rising to her eyes. Swallowing a response that was otherwise self-deprecating, she merely reached over and squeezed her friend.

"I'm... not going to lie. Shoto has actually... helped a lot..." Kairi whispered, a pleased grin growing on her lips. "He's been a huge part of what's helped me get through this." Momo posed a question in her eyes, but remained silent. "My friends all have. Shoto, yes... but you, Tsu, Yuga, Izuku... the whole class in many ways. It's a support I never had and it's already changed me in ways I never expected. I think my strength for doing this has come from a lot of you."

"Oh, give yourself some more credit than that, Hoshino!" Momo laughed, playfully punching her exposed shoulder. "This strength was always there, you just needed to find the right people to find it." She leaned against her, taking in the form of the dress in the mirror. High neckline, sleeves. A length that clung close to her legs, sleek in design except for the small flow in the skirt past her knees. "This looks rather nice on you. Honestly, it does."

"It's pretty tight though."

"Is it too small? Can you breathe?" Momo said, double checking the tag on the back.

"No, it's my size..." Her cheeks warmed. She wore leggings around the house and she was no stranger to clothes fitting closer to her body on occasion. But there was something about this dress. There was a little dirt on the hem and the possibility of dirt in other spots considering it was a dress in a thrift store. Thankfully the color was dark that nothing really showed and they had planned to get it dry cleaned anyway. Aside from the minor dirt, it was rather nice and something fitting the role she was playing. No, it was the issue of wearing something elegant, that held so close to her form... around _Shoto_. It caused her neck to flare with anxious heat. It illustrated her body in ways that made her uncomfortable to think about around him... but it did work. Part of her hoped the last dress to try would hang on her loser and cover her more, but a look over it already pushed down that pit in her stomach. It didn't look promising. She turned again, sighing at the back. "It's just... I'm not used to dresses holding so close to me. And then there's... the _back_. That can't be school appropriate."

"Well, I mean..." Momo reddened. "I'm allowed to wear my hero costume..."

"That's different. Your skin needs to be exposed. A hero school is going to be lenient about hero costumes as long as you have a valid reason, which you do. This has nothing to do with my quirk or being a hero."

"You would definitely need to wear a different bra," she said, frowning. "But I see your point. It's an easy fix though. Once dry cleaned, maybe your housekeeper could stitch a panel on the back. Extra fabric might be too much, but some lacework would look nice and it would be decent enough for the school." Kairi huffed patiently, stepping out of the dress.

"I don't have a housekeeper, Momo. A lot of people don't," she reminded her, as calmly as possible.

"Ohh..." she said, growing shyly quiet and hooking the dress back on its hanger. "Right, I... forgot. I'm sorry, I... I can see if mine will do it!" Kairi paused.

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's no problem!" The silver dress was far too puffy, ruched in odd spots, and stiff on her. Instantly recognizing it as a no, Kairi discarded the rest of the dresses and she worked with Momo to find some fitting shoes. Breathing deeply as soon as they stepped out of the door with her purchases, Kairi took in the open air again. People passed by, but it didn't feel as stuffy as the store had been. Momo took the dress bag from her.

"I'll get it dry cleaned for you. I know the best place. And then I'll politely ask if I can have the back altered. I should have it for you before the festival!"

"Momo..." Her center filled with bursting gratitude, throwing herself at her friend. Lightly, she squeezed her, feeling light and warm. "You're amazing." She only shook her head and the two of them headed down towards the block. Momo paused, taking time to snap a picture of the two of them together. Kairi's smile was genuine this time, glad to know Momo and have her as a friend, grateful for everything she was doing. While she played around in her Instagram, Kairi removed her phone as well, checking her messages she had received while in the store.

_Wait until you see the decorations I have chosen for the project! The classroom is going to _l'air si beau_ you won't even recognize it when I am done! _– Yuga

Kairi giggled, flipping through the photos he had sent of the paper ornaments that looked like chandeliers, ornately colored fabric, serving ware, candles, and other pieces of antique objects he had found to represent the classic murder mystery setting. Of course, in every photo he had posed in some way to show off his illustrious hair and handsome face.

_Looks good. I'm sure it will be fantastic_! – Kairi.

Another alert. Momo tagged her in the photo. She smiled and dismissed it. Next alert; news report of a second QuirKey recipient. A 34 year old male. A demolitions expert who originally had a quirk where his hands could produce strips of bubble wrap if he wanted. He received an explosive quirk, thinking that could better suit him to the job and talked extensively about the mental assessment he had to take and the therapy he had to have to decide if he was responsible enough to have the quirk. With the promise he would only use it after he received the proper counseling and only in the parameters of his job and safely, he was allowed to have the quirk, and had yet to report the results of it. Kairi furrowed her brow in interest and read the article aloud to Momo, who also had little to say but was left with much thought. She messaged it quickly to Shoto, asking his thoughts, and then continued on the street. She laughed with her friend, and followed her into a nearby ice cream shop.

While she stood in line, her phone pinged again, a notification on Momo's post. From Shoto.

Immediately, she pulled it up. He liked it, as he seemed to do with nearly everything she was tagged it. But he also left comment.

The picture was just of her and Momo smiling on the street with the comment: _ moodyriri and I just found her the perfect dress for the culture festival, and having a blast spending the day with her!_

Meanwhile, Shoto said:

_Can't wait to see how it looks on you :) _

Her feet tapped quickly against the floor of the shop, eager to spoon some ice cream down to silence the screaming in her heart.


	43. Food for Thought

The festival was the next day. The whole week had been them going through scenarios but it was admittedly hard without guests to participate. They had asked Aizawa to be a quest to test it, but he seemed only half-hearted in it, though he did appreciate the hard work they had put it. The Friday before, school was completely cancelled to allow the whole school to work. Yuga, Ashido, and Hagakure eagerly set to work decorating in the room with linen streamers trailing down from the ceiling. With the exception of the teachers' desk, all other desks had been moved into storage and they had laid out a buffet table and linen with a burgundy cloth. Silver platters were laid out, some of them with several tiers. Disposable drinking goblets covered another burgundy table on the other end of the room and somehow, unknown to everyone, Yuga had rented café tables and chairs for around the room. Here and there, vintage objects helped to pull the room together – a gramophone record player sat on the edge of Aizawa's desk and a wall telephone hung nearby. An antique globe sat off to the side of the desk. Old fashioned lamps were supplied in each corner and ornate candlesticks sat atop the piano in the corner.

"Where did you find the piano?" Izuku asked. Yuga sighed sadly.

"It's borrowed from the choir room. They refused to allow me to borrow their grand piano because it would be hard to get into the door, so I had to go with an upright. It's far too modern looking and throws off the whole look I know. But _c'est la vie_..." He pouted, looking disappointed in himself.

"I think it looks great!" said Hagakure, causing him to beam.

"Where did you find the wall telephone?" Iida asked.

"Thankfully, I was able to find many pieces from the drama club!" Yuga said. Jiro and Kaminari finished repositioned the framed posters around the room – reproductions of classic pieces of art.

"You've completely redesigned this room," Shoji said, amazed by what a spectacle the room had become.

"I have, haven't I?" Yuga laughed, spinning enthusiastically in the middle of the room. "I have quite outdone myself."

"Maybe we should continue with some of our practice," Momo said. "Scenario five, I think we should try." Kairi breathed deeply, glad that she hadn't suggested the one where either she or Shoto were the killers. Either one she would have felt completely obligated to stay, but as time ticked away on their day, she was increasingly aware of how long it would take her to make the food.

"We've done three of them already," she began, strained by her guilt for leaving them. "Sato and I really need time to work on the food. Could I please head over to the home ec room? When I finish, I'll run back and continue with whatever scenario you're doing."

"Absolutely, you're both dismissed," Momo told her with a grin. She smiled her thanks.

"How do we explain your absence?" Iida asked. "In the scenario."

"Uuuhhh... I went to powder my nose and a staff member showed me the way," Kairi explained quickly. She looked over at Shoto. "You're okay without me?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he nodded. "Enjoy cooking." The smirk he gave her practically killed her, so she made sure to follow Sato out of the room as quickly as possible.

Sato was on desserts, drawing inspiration from English cakes and pastries. After scouring the internet, Kairi figured there were a few things she could do. The two of them entered the large room and began to work silently on opposite ends of the room. However, the silence as they worked grew large and awkward. Quietly, she moved her elbow to shut the cupboard door, clutching a bag of flour in her arms and stared at the ground. Yes, sometimes being small and limber helped with things like climbing or being able to move quickly. It didn't help one reach the cupboards. Thankfully once again, she was good at climbing.

Before she could set the flour on the counter she stood on, Sato was standing in front of her, offering to take the bag from her. She gave it to him and he set it on the island before him before reaching again and helping her down from the counter. She smiled wide, nodded to him out of gratitude.

"Hey, it's kind of quiet, isn't it? How about we play some music while we cook?"

"Yeah. That might be nice," he said slowly. Kairi smiled again and retrieved her phone and handed it to him to pick one. He found an artist he liked and handed it back to her. Kairi blasted the music, tightened her apron, tied back her hair, and got to work.

She hummed along while she flitted about, grabbing several of the needed vegetables and tapping her knife to the beat of the music. Occasionally, a whir of a mixer could be heard behind her but it only interrupted the beat for a moment. After he finished, Sato would apologize for making so much noise, but Kairi always reminded him it was perfectly okay. The flow of the music and her mind lost in cooking directions helped to provide her some calm. For a moment, she had briefly forgotten why she was cooking and everything regarding the culture festival and Shoto. Kairi was lost in her humming, her music, and the tasks currently at hand.

Until a mess of green hair appeared in front of her and her chef's knife clattered to the floor. She yelped in surprise, causing Izuku to jump too.

"What... are you doing here?!"

"Oh it's that point in the scenario where I wander away so I thought I would check and see how you're doing!" he said, smiling. Enthusiastic eyes fell onto the chopped vegetables and the slices of cheese that were laid out. "What's on the menu?"

"Wouldn't you rather find out tomorrow?" she asked. "I'm trying to stick with things that are a little closer to English cuisine considering the setting. So unfortunately, no rice balls this time."

"Do you need help peeling those potatoes?" he asked, walking over to the pile that sat in a lump in the corner.

"No – it's okay, Izuku. Really," she assured, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's relaxing, even." He sighed happily.

"Good. You seemed a little tense in the room," he said. "You seemed like you have been really stressed over this."

"I..." she stammered, searching around the room for the right words to say. "I guess. I have, kind of. I mean... yes."

"It was quite a bit of work," he agreed, gripping a hand into his green curls. "Lots of situations to remember how to respond to. And then to remember how to reply if you're the killer? But I get the feeling this kind of thing isn't... well, your thing."

"I... don't like to be the center of attention," she explained carefully. "I mean, not that I am. Last year I would have agreed to be one of the maids, but... I just felt this... drive. To play a bigger part. Something in me wanted to. And it's kind of terrifying me!" She laughed wildly, that sort of painful laugh one gave when they were overwhelmed.

"I know all this work has limited much chance for us to talk," Izuku said, growing red with embarrassment. Kairi wrung her hands together, looking away. "But through all the practice and planning for this... I was a little concerned, I guess."

"About what?"

"You seemed... distressed about all of it. I wanted to check that you were okay." He watched her carefully, looking indeed concerned. "On edge."

"I've just had a lot on my mind. School. This project. Coming up with what to make for this project. And I guess haven't had the time to see my counselor because I've been working on this hasn't helped. I haven't been sleeping too well." The boy pursed his lips, worried.

"After this weekend you can maybe get some rest."

"Yeah..." Kairi agreed, gripping her knife again and chopping at a cucumber on the cutting board. Midway through, she paused and set down her knife. _That doesn't help with the Shoto issue._ Izuku had been an encouragement for the class. Something about him inspired others and he always seemed to know what to say to give them that boost. She swallowed and turned to face him. "Izuku..."

"Yes?"

"Are you... close with Shoto?"

"Not to terribly close. Definitely not as close as you two." She felt herself go hot again. "I've talked to him from time to time. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." her chest flipped, debating. She swallowed her doubt. "You've struggled with your quirk before, right?"

"Oh yeah, I did. Right when I got into the school."

"What was it like?"

"I didn't have control of it and injured myself a lot when I used it. It took a while before I properly learned how to control it."

"It's... not the same as mine, but... I know you've helped others with their quirks."

"You're talking about Todoroki?" he guessed, and nodded. "I suppose I helped a little. He wouldn't use his fire side."

"My quirk has always been something of an issue but recently things have made it a bigger issue for me." Sweat beads sprinkled over her forehead as her limbs thundered with apprehension. Words spilled out of her as her body reached to pull them back, begging her to be quiet. But her want was greater, and continued to push them forward, wanting someone to listen. Izuku leaned in, attentive. "Yes, I have been really stressed with this whole project and stepping outside of my comfort zone, but there's an even bigger reason. The atmosphere in the classroom has changed dramatically and gotten weird because my emotions have become so out whack and I couldn't really decipher them. Now I can, and I know what's going on but it's incredibly inconvenient and I'm kind of scared of it. The truth is, my quirk makes this a huge problem and I don't know what to do it. I have really strong feel-"

The quick succession of rapping against the door frame alerted the three people in the room to Uraraka, who stood smiling wide. Her eyes were firmly situated on Izuku and Kairi, speaking quietly.

"Deku! The scenario calls for you to be back in the room!" She said rather loudly, her face lightly twitching. "Right now, actually? What exactly are you two talking about, anyway?"

"Kairi was just asking for some advice," he explained calmly.

"Oh! Was she now?" she said, gritting her teeth. Kairi sunk and then swallowed, Uraraka's expression prickling her skin and jabbing right into her creepy factor. She inadvertently rested her hand back on her chef's knife. "Well, I'm sure that can wait, and you should probably return to the room right now!"

"Oh... okay then," Izuku said, seemingly not noticing the disturbing hidden anger in Uraraka. His own expression fell, and he gave one of apology to Kairi. "I'm sorry, but maybe we can talk later."

"It's..." She looked back to Uraraka and shuddered. "Not a big deal. Go, lest you get labeled the killer." Izuku nodded and tapped her shoulder before turning and leaving the room. The boy followed Uraraka out, who quickly turned sweet again. She could be heard laughing innocently once more as they headed back towards the classroom. Kairi blinked and then continued to chop at the cucumber.

She had only just finished and moved to space them out on a tray when a shadow returned to her side again. Gooseflesh crawling up her arms, her chest beat with the horrified possibility Uraraka was back to give her some lecture in her jealous rage. But her heart leapt for a different reason, those duo colored eyes stirring that affectionate whirlwind inside.

"...Shoto!" she called, pressing a hand to her chest. "You're supposed to be back in the room!"

"It's okay. My wife was missing and of course I had to go make sure she wasn't also killed by being drowned in the exquisite clawfoot bathtub." Thunder and butterflies.

"Oh, how... considerate of you," she breathed, straightening the cucumber slices. Her fingers wrapped around a nearby jar and she applied some strength in twisting its lid before dumping the red contents into a bowl of soft cheese.

"What are you working on?" he asked. She chuckled, shaking her head.

"Boys and food, I swear... Izuku was just in here asking the same thing."

"Okay, I just... wanted to make sure you were all right. You didn't seem like you could focus too much today. Especially when I tried to speak to you as if we... are you certain it doesn't make you uncomfortable?" The wooden spoon clattered from her hands at his question. She winced at the knocking sound it made. Kairi hurried to reach for it at the same moment Shoto bent to pick it up. Fingers draped around each other, his soothing heat flowing into her. For a moment, they exchanged a look. Liquid amber eyes peering into his grey and blue shimmering ones. Shoto's reddened face matched Kairi's flourish. The brief second of staring at each other lasted a million years to her, and embarrassment pulled her hand away.

They both stood up, and the still blushing Shoto handing the spoon back to her. "You might... want to wash this."

"Y-yeah..." Kairi agreed, taking it from him. "And I'm fine. It's just this whole thing is... well, I don't know how to react to any of it and... I guess I'm just awkward. Don't worry about it." He nodded, placing a tender hand against her upper arm. His thumb ever so slightly moved in gentle strokes. Her blood was moving in erratics and she was ready to die from the simple touch.

"Let me know if there's any way I can make you more comfortable, okay?" he asked, genuine emotion lifting his brows. Automatically Kairi nodded, pulling a smile from him. He dropped his hand, but her arm still burned from where he had touched. "I should return. I'll inform them... I found my wife but she was exhausted from the trip and went to take a nap." She nodded again. "Have fun cooking, Riri. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

_Riri. _Her mind and heart met each other in their combustions.

Shoto turned away, leaving her alone with Sato on the other side of the room. A solid minute, she stood there, unblinking. Until the smell of sugary warm and chocolate pulled her from her trance. Slowly, she looked back at Sato, pulling a tray of cookies from the oven. The sides of her mouth leaked saliva, thanks to her Pavlovian response. He smiled, seeing her stare and walked around the island to present the tray to her. Her asking eyes were met with a nod. Kairi gingerly removed a cookie from the tray, careful of how hot they were.

She bit into it, the crispness crackling at the bite and her mouth flowing with the heated chocolate and hypnotizing goodness. "Amazing as ever, Sato. We'll be a favorite just from your baking skills." He blushed and smiled once more before returning with his tray to his side of the room. Kairi took another bite and dropped her head. "And I am going to ruin everything with my ridiculous emotions."

* * *

**I am so unbelievably grateful to all your support! Thanks so much and if you liked anything in this chapter or feel you need to point out something important, I always appreciate reviews! I love you!**


	44. The Weight of Pride

The heat radiating from the travel mug between her hands and the tightness pulling at her scalp were the only two things keeping her eyelids from snapping shut. Early morning, on a Saturday. When she likely would have continued to sleep til past midday, and now here she was, sitting in her classroom while Hagakure got violent with the hairbrush. Kairi clutched the caffeinated nectar from heaven between her fingers, soaking up every ounce of the heat she possibly could. The walk to the school had been saturated with chill and quickly alerted her to waking. The minute she felt comfortable again, her body tried to return to sleep. But Hagakure was far too enthusiastic in pulling at her hair, and it was making it impossible to fall back to sleep.

"Just got to get your curls going!" she said, when the ferocious tugging finally stopped. Kairi muttered a strange whine, unclear of how she felt about the situation. The heat lingered near her head as Hagakure rolled up a strand of her hair and then sprung back a wave of mocha locks. She looked around, seeing that no one else required as much work on her hair. Ashido was currently working on teasing Momo's hair a little bit, but aside from that no one else needed as much work done to their hair. She moaned and chugged at the warm beverage in her hand.

"Hey, how's it going in here?" Iida asked, followed by Kaminari, Aoyama, and Shoto.

"Did you finish hanging all the posters and signs?" Momo asked while Ashido slid a comb through her dark hair.

"Got them all done!" Iida said with a glinting smile. "Also got a peek at some of the other rooms."

"Someone decided to go with a world travel theme with cuisines of the world and their French food was _tragique_!" Yuga said sadly.

"He was almost inconsolable. It was pretty sad," Shoto sighed, appearing a little amused. A gentle thundering echoed in Kairi at the sight of him, but her current priority was focused on sleep. She took another long sip on her coffee.

"We might have to do something with this blue strip..." Hagakure said softly, curling the section, but then tucking it behind her ear. Kairi snapped her eyes open in time with her the skip in her heart.

"What... does that... mean?" she finally mumbled, spinning to look at her. Hagakure's sleeves moved while she talked.

"Oh, don't worry! I'm simply saying we should tuck it behind some hair, hide it! What is the likelihood of a noble lady having blue in her hair? If you want to try and be realistic about it, we should probably tuck it away."

"Uh, y... yeah!" she gasped, a little startled but not having that strand in her eyes at all times. _God, you're so pathetic, it's one day for a few hours_! She gulped and nodded her permission, and Hagakure hummed as she continued to work.

"We should probably change into our outfits soon," Iida said, backing away from the girls as they worked. "We'll be back to check on you and how you're doing." Shoto simply waved to Kairi, who waved back sheepishly.

The day wore on and Tsu finished zipping up the back of the navy dress. It seemed bolder in its color after having been dry cleaned and Momo had delivered – the back had been altered to have a black lacework to give a more modest appearance. Somehow, she still felt very exposed; shoulders bare and the air still touched her back. And the bra she had been forced to wear was digging into her skin. Was it sticking because the way it sat pinched her skin, or was she sweating from anxiety? Kairi swept another pass of deodorant over her just in case and spritzed another shot of her perfume. Her hands also could not stop touching at the small pricks of pins in her hair. She usually only threw her hair up in a ponytail, so this was completely different. Air tickled her neck and her head just felt heavy, ready to bob around at any moment. A look in the mirror startled in, instantly thinking she was seeing her mother instead of her for just a moment. Her makeup was thicker than her mother often wore, but Kairi often wore minimal, to perhaps no makeup on a daily basis. Ashido had really focused on highlighting around her cheeks, quite possibly the most prominent part of her face. Kairi already shared her rounded cheekbones with her mother, but the contours gave her so much definition she looked terrifying like her. Her lipstick was a similar bold shade and while her mother wore a lighter shade, the sweep of purple over her lids was startingly. Instead of loathing how she looked, Kairi turned away the mirror and vowed not to look at it the rest of the day. This was one day. After the festival was over, she could return to her panda sweatshirt and leggings, and sit in front of her computer watching the newest show that dropped on streaming while clutching her stuffed elephant. The stress of everything could be behind her and she could pig out on junk food for the next couple days. Homestretch, she reminded herself. Life was going to go back to normal real soon.

Kairi exited the bathroom and kept her head low, muttering positive messages and listing things she couldn't forget about her role. Twitchy fingers hung at her sides as she passed by a hurried group of students in the hall. One of them paused to take a second look at her. She sped up her legs and jogged back to the classroom, dipping inside as soon as possible. From a chair, she pulled her sweatshirt over her shoulders and flipped the hood onto her pinned curls. Taking a seat at one of the circular tables while Momo and Iida instructed a few of the others in the background, she picked up her small purse and dug into its depths before pulling out a small black velvet box. Her eyes stared at her left hand nervously. It was important to be as convincing as possible, and that included a wedding ring. Kairi breathed deeply, trying to ignore the sinking of her conscience as she remembered smuggling it out of her father's desk drawer. She swallowed, and opened it.

She never thought it was the best looking ring – square stone with a wide split band, covered with smaller stones. But as a child she had marveled at how brilliantly it shone. And it seemed as if it were still alight, even after having been shoved to the back of the drawer for so long and hidden in darkness. She had asked to borrow it, too afraid of what her dad would say. He was likely to see it today, and she knew she would have to deal with it then. Now here she was – looking almost like the spitting image of her mother except with darker hair, and about to complete the look by wearing an item her father had come to treat as if it were cursed and locked it away.

"So... that's it then," Shoto softly said from standing just behind her. She yelped in surprise. "Sorry." His fingers laid over her shoulder, shooting excited energy through her.

"Yeah... that's... it..." She answered, staring at the sparkling stone. "The last person to touch this thing was my mother. Dad touched the box as if it were diseased."

"How is he going to react when he sees you wearing it?" She shrugged. "We could have had Momo just..."

"No," she protested again. "I... I think I wanted an excuse to... to see it again." She blinked and her vision fogged. Panic ensued through her as she thought about the layers of eyeliner and mascara about ready to fall victim to her tears.

"Kairi..." he said, moving the chair aside and pulling a tissue from her purse. He handed it to her and she took it from him, blotting her eyes.

"Is it pathetic to kind of wish she was here?" she sniffled, trying hard as she possibly could to wipe her eyes without smearing the makeup.

"No," he said.

"She doesn't care about any of my achievements unless she gets something out of it!" she snarled, tossing the tissue across the table. "I'm not saying I expect her to jump on a plane from England, but I at least want her to want to be here! I texted her about it and she simply said 'That sounds like a lot of fun!' and that was it. She didn't ask any questions about it, didn't ask me about what I was doing or anything. She doesn't care... at all!" She tried to hold in her shudders and wheezes, causing her body to shake. Her fingers clutched the front of the table in front of her, trying to keep herself from fidgeting again. Sensing she may not want to be surrounded by most of the class at that moment, Shoto closed the ring box and pulled it away from her. With his other hand, he grabbed her hand, urging her away from the table. She wasn't even aware of the burning tingle his touch left against her palm, choking on restrained sobs. The room fell quiet and demure as she all but surrendered to the hopelessness that echoed through her soul. Shoto quickly led her away and down the hallway, pausing the two of them when there wasn't another body in sight.

"I don't want you think none of this matters," he said softly, stroking fingers down forearm. "The thing is – your mother has made the choice to not be involved in your life properly. That is her fault. She's keeping in contact with you so she feels she can claim your accomplishments, the ones she feels enhance her life. But thing is – they're not her accomplishments. They are yours and yours alone. You are the one doing them, and you don't need anyone else to be proud of them but you. It helps to have others proud of you, sure. But the only pride that matters is your own." She halted her tears and looked to Shoto, captured by his gaze. "You have come so far, reached beyond what anyone thought or even expected of you. You have carried yourself so far and done something three months ago you never would have considered to agree to. You have proven yourself to be a far greater hero than possibly anyone thought you could be. You have moved beyond your emotions, your quirk, and continued to pursue things that mattered to you even though you were nervous to. In such a short time, you have achieved so much. Even the small things matter, Kairi. Even something that seems as silly as a cultural festival. I have watched you excel at things you didn't think you could do and give a shit when something was important to you. You haven't let the disadvantages of your quirk hold you back. The only one who needs to be proud _is you_, Kairi."

His words were knitted with such urgency, a fiery passion backlighting every one. Kairi gulped, falling further under the spell of his words. His face softened as he looked deeper at her and she thought she may very well vanish into him and cling to him forever. Feeling small and insignificant under his very presence, so captivated by the power of his words, Kairi fell quiet and simply stared.

"However," he continued. "I happen to be very proud of you. Exceptionally proud. True, your mother should be here. But don't let that stop you from enjoying how much progress you have made, how far you have come, and what an achievement this is going to be." He popped open the ring box he still carried and pulled out the ring. Without any sort of hesitation or sign that it seemed as intimate for him as it did for Kairi, he picked up her left hand. Gingerly, he slid the ring onto her appropriate finger and then dropped her hand. She filled with the deepest heat imaginable, and swallowed so hard her throat burned afterwards. His knuckles grazed over the skin on her arm again before he dropped his hands. "You're going to kill this, Kairi. And you will play an amazing Lady Iris." He chuckled, and Kairi instinctively smiled.

"Oh, what a charming husband you ever so are!" she answered, putting on a fake posh accent.

"See? Already doing a good job." She sniffled through a giggle, and then touched at the remnants of black smeared around her eyes. Shoto extended a looped elbow towards her. "Let's get back to touch up your makeup. Won't be too long before we begin out first scenario."

"I do so love to start the day with a salacious murder," she cackled, warming with bubbling enthusiasm the further they walked. For a few seconds they were quiet together. Then Shoto lowered his head, just above her ear.

"I forgot to say it earlier – but you look beautiful," he said, soft so only she heard. From her toe tips to her cheeks, heat rose and flared through her body. Shaken by such a simply compliment, her body moved only automatically. Her mind vanished into a daze and she became unaware of her setting, moving only as Shoto steered her. Feeling wobbly and out of place, she drifted back into the classroom where Momo had verified everything was in place and the class began to pack away their prep materials.

"Doors will open in just a half hour now," Iida reminded, holding a clipboard in his arms and scribbling through each item. "It would seem as if everything is in place, everyone is dressed..." He turned, scanning over the half formed circle of his classmates in the room. He nodded, pleased with seeing half the class dressed as servers and the others in clothes that corresponded with their characters. Yuga peered across the circle, exchanging amused eyes with Kairi. She crinkled a question in her brows and he simply nodded to her linked arms with Shoto. She grew hot and dropped her arm quickly.

Before Iida could tap against his clipboard again, the door opened again and Mr. Aizawa slowly dragged himself in the door. He showed little impression as he took in the spectacle of the transformation of the room. His eyes held the paper chandeliers the longest before he sighed again and shoved his hands in his pockets at his sides.

"This will be interesting," was his only comment. "I'm intrigued. Continue, Iida."

"Right!" said the boy, and he gathered his class as if they were troops. "Remember your characters. You may have to think on your feet for a response, but just make sure it fits with what your character said. This is meant to be fun, so try not to become too offended if someone's character does something that bothers you. Momo and I will draw the first scenario, and then I want you all to close your eyes. The person who I tap on the shoulder will be the killer." Kairi breathed and shut her eyes. And waited. She waited a full minute and then Iida told them out to open their eyes. She let out a heavily breath, relieved. She hadn't been picked and therefore she wouldn't need to worry about the tussle of emotions giving anything away. Relaxing a little, she instead reminded herself of her character's traits and personality. Kairi rolled her shoulders back and tilted her feet to stand taller, with a fake confidence she wasn't sure she could ever feel. Momo took a moment to touch up her makeup and Kairi assessed herself in a mirror. Plastering a grin of pride to add to the ensemble of Lady Iris Thorncott, she inched closer to Shoto. Her chest billowed with a heavy strength the closer she found herself, giving her emotions a pep talk to not spiral. He was just a boy, just Shoto. He was just playing a part, and this was all pretend. There was no reason to get worked up over any way he acted towards her or anything that may occur between them.

The ring on her finger shifted and she turned it on her hand. In that moment, just as the doors opened and they were ready to receive their first guests, the piece of jewelry became heavy. It reminded her her mother wasn't there to join in their celebrations, in what she helped create and put so much effort in. It pulled on her arm, and soon became all she could focus on. She held her face tense, refusing to cry once more. She clasped her hands together, scratching at her skin just below the ring. It was so heavy. The whole thing was burdensome, the ring, the role, the responsibilities she carried, with Shoto hanging so close to her. Inside, she tore apart and screamed, while bearing a sweet smile that seemed as if nothing were wrong. The anxiety clawed at her flesh and demanded to be let out. Her fingers twitched, her only physical give away. The mood fell in the room, sensing how she felt and Iida struggled to begin announcing his greetings to the rest of the guests. Sound warbled around her and she grew dizzy, giving into the weight of the ring that pulled her, begging her to give up.

Shoto eyed her worriedly, holding his lips tight. Iida just finished announcing Uraraka's character of a conservative teacher to the group, moving onto the two of them. Iida's eyes on them, but his voice slowed and making so sense, Kairi thought he was probably introducing them. Likely, anyway. It was hard to know when her mind was swaying and her body threatened to do the same. But then Shoto's hand dropped under her own, weaving fingers between her own. Life shot back into her, and the storm clouding her mind settled. She forgot the ring, focus on the pulse that mingled with her own. Wide eyes stared at their intertwined hands, disbelieving the closeness they held. He leaned over her then, pressing lips close to her ear. To everyone else, it merely looked as if he was kissing the side of her head. He whispered, so quiet it was barely audible but the words echoed loudly in her soul.

"I believe in you. You can do this," he said. She forgot the ring completely, and straightened, looking determined.

"Pleasure to meet you," she chuckled with a gentle smirk, batting charming eyelashes first at Iida, then Shoto. She placed her left hand so she was touching Shoto's arm and prominently displaying the ring on her left hand. "Lady Iris Thorncott."

Shoto flushed deeply at the touch.


	45. Playing the Part

Not too many had showed up during the first scenario, which Aizawa had reminded not to get too discouraged over – it was still early morning and it would fill up later. It had given them some extra time to practice in front of a real audience and focus more on real emotions. All in all, it was successful and the few guests they had enjoyed their room – one had even figured out Ashido's conservative teacher character was the killer and suddenly became enthusiastic when it proved he was right. He proudly accepted his certificate for a free bento meal (a deal they had work out with one of the vendors) and happily moved on.

"Well, that was successful at the very least!" Iida tried to happily declare.

"That's one word for it," Bakugo scoffed, snarling as he moved a dirty plate from one of the abandoned tables. "Deku here almost ruined the whole thing. Do you know how to form a sentence, Deku?!" Izuku sheepishly stared in the corner, away from where Uraraka currently stood. She been dressed in a scarlet gown with a slit up the side of her leg and a neckline that wasn't too low but possibly lower than any of the boys in the class were used to see. And it had been true – Izuku stumbled over many of his sentences, making five of the guests believe he had been guilty. Unable to pull his eyes away from her in her daring dress and smoky outline of her eyes, it hadn't gone unnoticed how distracted he was by her appearance.

"I, I er... I'll do better next... next round!" He promised unconvincingly, face still the shade of beets.

"Then you better get your act together, Deku!" Bakugo stacked another plate on top of his small tower in his hands.

"Mineta, just a reminder..." Iida began cautiously, trying hard not to grit his teeth. He tapped a pen against a clipboard he swiped from the nearby table. "You are a character who is constantly berating young folk for how they act and doesn't go on about the all the women he had while serving in the war. He would also not be constantly making jokes to the Thorncotts to get a room!" He innocently grinned, while taking a moment to look over at Kairi and Shoto. While Shoto had only appeared mildly annoyed, Kairi's face flared with a brewing wrath. She held clenched fists at her sides, feet vibrating in her heels with a desire to launch herself forward and strike.

"I figured I would get into the character of a man who had once been so lonely while away at war and really thought hard about how that would affect him," Mineta defended, trying his hardest to look blameless dressed in a worn military uniform with unknown origins.

"This time just... remember to stick to your character," Momo said gently. "Everyone take a moment to grab something to eat quick and hit the restrooms if you need to. We will start the new scenario in the next ten minutes." Everyone around the room relaxed for a moment, breaking their characters to reach the small buffet table where the small appetizers were laid out. Shoto abandoned Kairi for a moment to retrieve a crostini from a tiered serving tray. She fidgeted, apprehensive for his thoughts as he bit into it.

"Hmm... you put corn on this?" he asked. She quietly nodded, stomach flipping.

"Yeah... English cooking isn't really my forte," she said, clenching her hands behind her back. "I found a recipe online though and it seemed similar to something I had when I was young. Maybe not exactly crostini, but similar taste."

"Unexpected, but not bad," he replied, moving onto to taste of the tatties she had made. Deciding she couldn't stand there waiting to know what Shoto thought of everything she had made, Kairi swiftly turned and found herself standing beside Yuga. While everyone else had fallen away to their old selves he was enjoying his character and continued to pretend to sip at an empty martini glass.

"Ahh, _cherie_, you really quite are the lady of the hour!" he laughed, standing in a cool pose against the piano. He winked and pretended to drink again. Kairi wrinkled confusion on her face. "You gave quite a marvelous performance. Why, I almost believe you were truly in _amour_!" Her body rippled with embarrassed dread. She puckered her lips, halting the next words rising to her lips. Arms crossed in front of her chest.

"I was just following Shoto's lead. Held his hand when he needed me to, and just agreed with him."

"Ah, but it was all there in your eyes! Besides, you weren't the only convincing one. Todoroki was as well."

"He's good at everything he does," Kairi said, her voice faltering away with something similar to regret. Yuga frowned and set his glass on the piano.

"_Oui_, it does seem that way," he sighed. "But please don't think you can't do things as well. You have many talents."

"These beef wellington bites are amazing!" Kirishima shouted, halfway through chewing his third one. Kairi turned and laughed at the ecstatic expression as he shoved the rest of the food into his mouth. She glowed with warmth. Yuga cocked a brow, telling her "I told you so."

"Finish up everyone! Guests will be coming in soon!" Iida announced, clapping to ger their attention. Just as they had gathered together, two more guests filed in and they selected their next killer. Relieved again that it hadn't been her, Kairi shut her eyes. As they began, the feel of Shoto's hand in hers had become so familiar the last round that while it still threw her in a whirlwind, it was no longer surprising. It didn't catch her off guard and in round two, she found it a little easier to keep her emotions moderately tame. Breathing through it, she found it comforting that he was beside her. While his hand in hers was a part of the show to represent them as a married couple, it felt more. His touch reminded her he was there through it all, no matter if it went perfectly or failed miserably. Soothed, she fell into a pattern and the second round was easier to get through. Feelings temporarily stable, it was much easier to be beside him, to play her role. With just him being beside her, she was able to be more vocal round two, play a better part. Glowing with gratitude with every look she gave him, Kairi broke through that shell and found a strong dedication. In herself, for the role, for how he was guiding her through it. That hand... it had previously wracked her with anxiety and sent her in a torrential storm of emotions. Now, it had become a method to soothe her. So she gripped tight through the rest of the set, glad for him to be there.

"Much better that round," Iida said as the last of the guests left. The students slumped back into their selves again.

"Good job everyone!" Hagakure said, stacking a few abandoned cups together on her tray. "The guests really seemed to get into it!"

"It was quite a bit better," Momo agreed with a smile.

"Yeah, and Midoriya only stumbled over a few sentences this time," Kaminari teased, smirking over at him. It was true that Izuku had collected himself but considering that Uraraka was playing her role as someone who knew she was attractive... a couple of moments when she brushed past him, he made a noise like he had been in pain.

"At this rate, we'll just keep improving with each set!" Iida enthused proudly. The rest of the students were also beginning to get into it more too, and eagerly slipping into their roles just before the next scenario. Eyes closed again and Kairi breathed deeply, remembering Shoto beside her.

And then her shoulder was tapped. She swallowed, tensing.

Eyes opened again. Her mind sprung forward and then back, zipping through every possibility that could occur that would sabotage the whole thing. She forced herself not to appear too surprised, but the waves that distorted her emotions would likely give her away, she was convinced. She held her hands behind her back, making sure to hid her fidgeting fingers from everyone else. Instinctively, she leaned herself against Shoto's shoulder, drinking in his warmth and letting it serve as a balm for her nerves. One look at his eyes and she mellowed, closing off her senses to the rest of the world around her. He was here. It would be fine. He would make sure of it. She could survive. It was just silly cultural festival. It wasn't a hero mission, and the weight of the world wasn't on her. Strange how she had done so much hero training and a stupid school project seemed to be the thing that was a big deal.

"We welcome you all to our humble mansion!" Iida announced just after finishing reading off the names of their characters. A few stragglers entered the room and took their seats, being greeted by Tokoyami who directed them to their seats. Kairi's throat flipped at the sight of her father entering the room, nodding her direction. She blinked, and then forced herself to remember how she was meant to act. Plastering a proud smile, she looked over at Iida speaking. She leaned over to whisper at Shoto before slipping from his grasp and leaving the room, smiling at Kaminari as she did. Kairi passed down the hallway once, taking a moment to peer into the elaborately decorated rooms and listen to music blasting from one of them before running back just as screams were coming from 2-A, passing Kaminari along the way. She ran back into a now darkened room and recalled their blocking to stand where she was meant to be. The lights flipped on and on the floor was their body – a dummy they had used to stand in for their host.

"My employer!" Iida cried dramatically, running over the very clearly fake doll. "It stands to reason... one of us must have done it! And I'm afraid we cannot leave this room until the police arrive and one us is arrested. I shall make the call right now!"

"You could be the killer! How can we trust _you_?!" Ashido snapped, tapping her foot. And thus began their game, a childishly corny iteration of every tropey murder mystery that existed. As they began their arguments of distrust and debating about calling the police, their guests watched with deep interest, only half focused on their hors d'ouevres in front of them.

"Mr. Hobson was missing when the lights turned back on!" Uraraka accused, brushing her hair aside before she pointed an accusatory finger at Kaminari. Horrified, he looked over the rest of the crowd. Kairi jumped in.

"No, Matthias – I mean, Mr. Hobson couldn't have! I mean, he's a gentle gardener, and has been quiet this whole time. What could he possibly gain from killing him?" Kairi said, receiving both a tender look from Kaminari and a confused look from Shoto. She smiled politely and rested her head on Shoto's shoulder, trying hard to cement her sweet affection for him. The accusations continued until it was opened up the rest of the room, and the students carted themselves around to the various tables. Kairi rolled her eyes, seeing her father _of course_, waving them over. He smiled with glee, as if he had been waiting forever for this. She clung closer to Shoto, as if pleading for help. He chuckled quietly.

"I saw you leave just before the lights went off, where did you happen to be?" Mr. Hoshino asked.

"Oh, I was just powdering my noise," Kairi smile. "Pure coincidence."

"And why were you so quick to defend Mr. Hobson?"

"Please, he's a mere gardener!" she scoffed, waving her hand. "You really believe a simple gardener to be intelligent enough to pull something off like that? He's too much of an idiot, really."

"You are correct as ever, darling," Shoto played along. Her heart raced at his words.

"How do you know he's an idiot?" Mr. Hoshino asked again. She squinted her eyes, scrutinizing him. _Could you stop the detective thing, Dad?!_

"Because he's a gardener! It's obvious!" She laughed loudly, trying to sell it. "You should see the gardener my Tobias and I have at home, he's really quite the nitwit if I do say so!"

"And how long have you two been together?"

"Married three months," Shoto answered. "And every day has been a real joy. She may have become a lady only the day we married, but she was always quite the lady to me." A spark shot through Kairi again, legs threatening to collapse under her weight. Her breath caught as she looked sharply at him. Trying to cover up her sudden lapse in judgement, she laughed loudly, hoping it would cover the dizziness she was feeling and changed the quickly altering atmosphere. While her pulse still quickened, she raised her left hand and tapped Shoto's arm gently. Mr. Hoshino's eyes fell... narrowing on her hand. Kairi swallowed, noticing his line of sight towards the ring immediately.

"Where did you get that ring?"

"Uh, I don't think that's a polite question to ask," Shoto immediately thought to ask as Kairi dropped her hand behind her back.

"That's not... pertinent," she stammered.

"It looks rather familiar. Do you know theft is a crime Lady Thorncott?" The words cut into her, making her flinch.

"Yes, yes, of course but I do think we should take a turn about the room now!" The words spilled out of her quickly. Urgency pushed her along and dragged Shoto behind her. She dropped her gaze from her father quickly, swallowing the dread that would eventually arise again when she needed to speak with him at home. At the moment, it would only upset their whole project. She looked back at him apologetically before escaping to a nearby table and catching the end of their current curious conversation.

"... So he's feeling a bit overwhelmed with his marketing," continued the woman at the table, holding one of the small cakes Sato had baked in her hand. She was dressed well, not a wrinkle on her clothes. Her attention seemed to be less involved with the students around the room and more focused on her equally well dressed male companion with her. "He doesn't think his quirk will really serve him much good in the industry. He asked if I would be displeased if he chose a different field of study. Of course, I would and marketing would serve him best in our industry." Initially, Kairi blazed with anger at how dismissively she seemed of the interests of who Kairi assumed to be her son. However, she remained quiet and was too enraged by the conversation to turn away from it. "So I told Ryo that if he is searching for a quirk that would best serve business, QuirKey just opened up applications and he could become a subject. He was nervous about it of course, but I'm certain he'll agreed to it since he is such a good son. After some consultation, it seems as if there's a quirk available where he could essentially make anything! Can you imagine? We could literally sell anything and because he would be making it for free, we could afford to sell it at a lower price and always earn one hundred percent of the profits!" A chilling laugh from the woman wound around Kairi, and she found her jaw aching from how tightly clenched her teeth were. The rage had been flaring, and was now driving her. She cleared her throat, as lady like but as loud as possible. The table looked up to her.

"Oh, that's right..." the man said, turning his body to face them. "The famous class 2-A students... What it's like being as famous as you are?"

"I fail to understand what you mean, good sir," Kairi laughed, holding them strongly in her gaze. Shoto eyed her cautiously. She looked back over at him. _Did you just hear what they said?_

"Oh, right... You're the married couple, aren't you? We have to pretend like they're actually their characters..." the woman reminded the man, patting his arm. "So why did you kill him?"

"That's preposterous!" Kairi spat, a bit too aggressive. Beyond herself, she buzzed with rapid energy, ready to snap. "I had no reason to, and it's rather a boring subject. I'm most curious about what _you're_ discussing!"

"Kairi," Shoto whispered, lightly tugging at her arm. She didn't make any motion that she had heard him. "Darling, perhaps we ought to leave these two alone and mingle with other guests?" She quickly slipped from his arm and slapped both her hands against the table. Amber eyes bore into them, pressing for information. Uncomfortably they wriggled in their seats, but the two of them shared her discontent. Both of their eyes echoed back her challenging gaze and the hum in the room quieted. Guests on either side of them spoke to each other more sharply and one even snapped at another attendee. Iida drew up from the table he was speaking with and instinctively looked over to where Kairi was standing. Finally successful, Shoto led her away, hand pressed against the center of her back. She allowed him to pull her away, but she still fumed with her fire. Even the electric spark from his touch was barely noticeable, shadowed by the agitated wrath.

She had changed the attitude of the room, but not in the way she expected. Questions among the students had become nastier, and more accusatory. People weren't enjoying themselves too much and instead just became annoyed with the whole scene. Three people left before the end and Tokoyami and Sato begged them to stay with trays of food. Dismissing them, they stomped away and Momo and Iida exchanged desperate looks.

"What happened at that table?" Shoto whispered. He hadn't tried to, but the closeness he had kept himself to Kairi while whispering close to her ear had continued to create the illusion they were a couple.

"To begin with, did you hear that way that woman was talking about her son? Disgusting. I don't understand how parents can try... try to force their kids to be one thing and do one thing, all for their glory." Shoto's eyes sunk, pain pulling them down.

"Yes, it is pretty despicable," he sighed with an ache.

"But then she mentioned QuirKey! And making him get a quirk to make anything in order to profit them! Using her own son for profit, for money! That's... completely horrible really. It's exploitation!"

Iida gathered the rest of the students as quickly as possible, trying to rush the scenario to keep the attention of the remaining quests. Kairi turned her eyes away from her father who was continuing to look over at her, eyes tilted with his own disappointment. Her anger faded as guilt became comfortable, and the crowd refused to look each other in the eyes. She swallowed and tried to pour her focus into her role.

"Analyzing the evidence, it seems clear to me that the murderer is none other..." Iida began, and then shot his finger Kairi's direction. "Lady Iris Thorncott!" Shoto spun to look over at her immediately dropping her hand. Taking a moment to register the accusation, she dropped her mouth with shock. Then, she smirked and wore the cruelest smile she could imagine.

"And what makes you say that, _Butler_?" she snarled. He looked out to the guests.

"Who thinks they know the answer?" Four random guests and Naoko Hoshino rose. A woman on the far end raised her hand.

"The gardener let it slip he saw Lady Thorncott far too often. Our host would have seen them together when he was leaving the grounds and met up with him as he went to make his errands for the day," she said. A man beside her spoke up.

"This was also the same hour the Lord Tobias left for polo every day," he answered. "When I asked the Lady if there was any grudge the host had against her, she got nervous." Mr. Hoshino then rose, looking casual but also fixated on Kairi. She lowered her eyes and shivered, feeling the weight of his disappointment.

"Our host had pictures and threatened to blackmail Lady Thorncott if she didn't agree to invest in the company. When the Lord Thorncott wished to break away from the contract, he threatened the pictures again. So Lady Thorncott used this opportunity to kill him, and also as an opportunity to call the whole thing off with the gardener." Prideful, Mr. Hoshino looked across the room before sitting back down. Kairi swallowed. Of course it was too easy for him. He probably had her pegged the second they spoke. That was just how her father operated. She even considered that he might have read her mind. She huffed, more annoyed at him but it worked well for her character.

"That's quite the tale you've spun!" she chuckled, and looked back at Shoto who was giving his best impression of a broken man. It was only acting, she told herself. Yet something about it sliced through her and fractured her with a deeper guilt. Kairi forced away her apologetic expression. "What makes you think I want anything to do with the filthy gardener?" She snorted and looked in the direction of Kaminari, appearing to try too hard to not look guilty.

"You kept looking his way and smiling despite how much you tried to appear disgusted by him," said the man on the end. "The Lord would be looking at you and you continued to look over at him. Quite frankly, the two of you were far too infatuated with each other for me to believe it. It was clearly an act."

Kairi looked over at Shoto, then back to Kaminari. She threw up her hands and then ran over to Kaminari, taking a hold of his arm.

"Sorry, _darling_, but now that I have the title, I have influence. And that influence will buy me out of jail!" she laughed wildly, playfully resting her head on the shoulder of a blushing Kaminari. She giggled and the two of them ran between the tables towards the door. At that moment, Momo flicked a switch on a small box that was hidden in the corner. Red and blue lights flashed just over the threshold, a signal that police had arrived and ending the scenario.

Despite the emotions that had been thrown about, the guests clapped and cheered for the dramatics they had put on. Talking animatedly with how much they enjoyed the show, the guests gathered their coats and bags before meeting at the door. Mr. Hoshino pulled Kairi aside as she left Kaminari's side. She bowed her head, already admitting her mistake. He rubbed her shoulder first, and then dropped his chest before speaking.

"You're to return it to me as soon as the festival is over. Do you understand?" he told her gently.

"Yes, Dad," she mumbled.

"I would have found you a cheap one you could have just used."

"Yeah but I... I wanted... a piece of her here. I mean I was... so proud of what I..." She left the sentence hanging while her insides grew glum.

"Yeah... I know." He looked up, and glanced at the surroundings that added to the illusion. "You all really did do a good job. Hell, I believed you and Todoroki were more than just friends!" Her stomach lurched. He patted her shoulder again. "You're right. She should be here. All of you should be proud of yourself. It was quite a bit of fun... and you made the food, didn't you? I recognize the tatties." A gentle smile crawled onto her lips as she shrugged.

"Some of them," she replied shyly.

"We'll talk more later, Riri. For now just... have fun for the rest of the festival." Mr. Hoshino pressed a kiss against her forehead. Moisture clung close to her eyelashes. Sorrowful disappointment melted into comforted pride, and she looked back at her dad. She clasped him in a tight hug before releasing him to the rest of the crowd. Feeling much lighter and less stressed, she stole one of Sato's cookies and nibbled on it quietly, leaning in a chair.

"So, what do you say we get out of here, Lady?" Kaminari said in a low tone as he stood in front of her. Unlike Mineta, his manner was clearly teasing and obviously not meant to be taken seriously. She chuckled and winked.

"What a charmer you are," she teased back. He nodded and turned away, allowing for Shoto to step in. He nodded towards the door.

"He wasn't upset?"

"I'm sure he was..." Kairi moaned, finishing the last of the cookie and reached for a second one already. "But he understands and is letting go. I might still receive a lecture later."

"Well, the worst is over for you. You were the killer and your father saw the production. You can relax for the next few," he remind. "By the way, you and Kaminari make a cute couple."

She hacked, choking on her cookie before bursting into a fit of laughter.


	46. Young Eyes Perceptions

Two more well-received rounds and they were released from their responsibilities. Having successfully completed their commitment for the festival with impressed remarks from Mr. Aizawa, they quickly cleaned up anything that couldn't wait til the next day and ran off to change into their regular clothes. The jeans and panda sweatshirt felt lush on Kairi's body after wearing the uncomfortably clingy dress for several hours. Grateful to be wearing shoes she could move in, she hummed quietly as she removed every pin from the top of her head. The blue strip fell back in place and her core purred at the soothing familiarity. Shaking her hair loose, the curls still remained and she simply shrugged at remaining make-up around her eyes. There was something exciting about her appearance even if she usually didn't wear so much, and she left it. Finally, after being one of the last to leave the locker room, she met up with her friends and walked alongside them down the hall.

"Excuse me, Kairi, where did Lady Thorncott go?" Uraraka greeted happily. "She seems to have disappeared!"

"Hardy har!" Kairi snorted, rolling her eyes at the cheesy remark.

"Why don't we get some food first?" suggested Izuku, and the others seemed to be in agreement.

"That seems as if it went well for the most part!" Iida declared proudly. "Good job to the amazing effort you all put in!"

"What was happening in the middle there?" Momo thought to ask, peering around Yuga to ask Kairi. She stiffened and turned her gaaze away, focusing on the long hall ahead of them. The silence offered no answers, so Shoto stepped in.

"One of the guests said something that upset her," he said. "That's all."

"I just hate it when parents treat their children as if they're nothing but figures for them to play with. Doesn't matter how much money you make," she grumbled. Shoto pursed his lips.

"Some parents just shouldn't be parents, _ribbit_," Tsu acknowledged, patting Kairi's back. She turned to smile her thanks at Tsu, just as they left the school entrance and the courtyard opened to a row of various food vendors and booths featuring games. Deciding the shake off the incident, the group gathered around neighboring food stalls and tried an assortment of dumplings and meat skewers, noodle bowls, desserts, and rice rolls. Kairi was halfway through a chicken skewer when Momo jerked her towards a ring toss booth, begging her to try her hand at it.

"You seriously want me to do this?" she half-laughed, smiling through her doubt. The rings hung loosely from her fingers as she stared at them incredulously.

"Come on, you're good at angles and physics!" she urged, pleading.

"Yeah, when it comes to me, myself, and I!" she scoffed. "Because I can predict myself but not a plastic ring that's going to catch on this slight wind!"

"Just see what happens!" She rolled her eyes and flung the first ring. It bounced off the neck of a side bottle and almost decapitated the stuffed bear hanging from the top of the booth. After displaying her best "I told you so" expression, she continued – one ring fell in between bottles, and the third one impressively bounced off five before landing at her feet.

"Yep, you're pretty terrible," Shoto smirked, rolling his eyes. He leaned forward and grabbed the rings from the booth attendee. With assured flair, he tossed each ring one by one – and each ring landed around a bottle neck in a perfect straight line. Kairi blinked, awe freezing her. Still proudly grinning, he pointed to one of the plush animals hanging down, and the booth manager gave him a new cuddly green friend.

"Okay, you clearly cheated," she accused, placing her hands firmly against her hips.

"Takes a cheater to know a cheater, right, _Lady Thorncott_?" Kairi gasped, staring wildly.

"Does that mean you admit to cheating?!"

"You'll have to do your own investigation, I suppose." Winking uncharacteristically, he moved along, seeking out the next booths. Kairi slammed her foot against the ground before running after him as the group continued along, seeking for their next destination. Uraraka pointed to something up ahead and Izuku nodded, the two of them moving farther down the path.

"We're going to go on ahead!" Izuku called behind them, waving to the group. "We want to see what's further on." Uraraka pulled on his arm and he followed, a dopey wide smile stretching across his face.

"How long do you think it will be before she's captivated in his embrace?" Yuga whispered, keeping his voice low so only Momo and Kairi could hear it. Momo reddened and eyes widened the size of her shocked round lips. Kairi rolled her eyes again but couldn't keep the mischievous smile from growing.

"By the way, here," Shoto said, passing the green plush to Kairi. "I know you like stuffed animals. I have no need for it.'

Her chest swelled, pattering and thundering unpredictably with the otherwise simple gesture. Passing over the animal into her hands tickled through her skin and flowed up her arms. Heat streamed over her cheeks, her heart spinning with euphoria. Startled eyes met with his soft ones – but there was a flicker of mischief in them, followed by a devilish grin. A smile that while it was meant to be playful, stopped her soul.

Then she looked down at the plush animal in her hands and was about ready to toss it away.

It was a goddamn teddy bear.

"You picked this one on purpose!" she accused, throwing it back at him.

"Hey, don't reject my gift!" he laughed, cowering under her attack. Their friends surrounding them created an orchestra with the cacophany of their laughter. Kairi shook her head. Shoto gently picked up the bear again and turned it back over. "Truly though, go ahead and keep it. It doesn't quite fit with my style." She warmed again and clutched it close to her chest.

"Look!" Iida gasped excitedly, pointing to a large banner that listed a schedule for each room and booth. "There's a random trivia game happening in 1-C this year, and it starts in fifteen minutes!" Kairi attempted a grin, joining in with the half-hearted fake exclamations. He huffed and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Yes, I know not a single one of you are enthusiastic but I think it's fascinating! I think I'm going to try and see if I can win it!"

"Good luck," Kairi offered, hugging the neck of the teddy bear.

"I suppose, I should go and make sure he actually has some competition to go up against," Momo said with a cheeky smile. She waved to the diminishing group as she ran to catch up with Iida. Shoto and Kairi were left alone with Yuga and Tsu.

"Looks like there were two maid cafes and one butler café this year," Tsu said. "That's less than there were last year."

"Guess we all know where Mineta decided to spend his time," Kairi groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Ooh! 3-B is putting on a small play and it starts soon!"

"Oooh, the theatre! What a marvelous choice!" Yuga said, posing as much dramatics in his response as he possibly could manage. "What play is it?"

"_A Hero's Dilemma_," Tsu read. "Isn't that the classic tragedy from about two hundred years ago?"

"Where he has to choose between the love of his life and saving a whole town?" Kairi nodded. "It's quite painful, yeah. The second act is really heart-wrenching. I've never seen the actual play but I remember when we had to read it in Literature last year and the terrible film adaptation with the strange ending."

"It was _tragique_ in a rather different way," Yuga bemoaned.

"I would be interested in seeing that. It will be nice to just sit down for an hour. We've been on our feet since early this morning, _ribbit_," Tsu said.

"Agreed. I think we could all relax for a bit," Shoto said. "Then, to 3-B."

"That is unless, you two had something you would rather do by yourselves?" Yuga offered, looking expectantly between the two of them with wriest of smiles. Perplexed, Kairi's brow wrinkled in its center. There was a knowing gaze in Yuga, but she couldn't translate it. Instead, she looked over at Shoto, then back to her other friend, shrugging her shoulders. Shoto, however, had been a bright pink.

"N-no, we're fine, I think. This is what we want to do."

"Was there something you would rather do?" Kairi asked honestly.

"_Ribbit..._," Tsu groaned, shaking her head. "The play is fine." Together, the four of them remained close and weaved through the trail back towards the school. Clattering their conversations together, they ascended the steps to the correct floor and found 3-B's room was almost brimming with attendees. Finding four spots in the center, they weaved their way in. Before the curtain rise, nearly every chair had been filled. It seemed to be a rather popular attraction for the school. Lights lowered in the room and the hushed talk fell silent. As the half-practiced music chimed, that was when Kairi had become aware to the intensity of Shoto's body heat pressing against her own shoulder. She gulped, forcing weighted breaths to not appear too heavy as her abdomen rolled with pulsing anxiety. Her skin bit at her, hairs along her arm tickled with rising apprehension. Thanks to her, the tension in the room rose as the emotion on stage rose. Thankfully, perhaps they wouldn't notice the change in atmosphere was because of her, and instead would attribute it to the show.

It was hard to focus on the plot, even though she knew it. In order to cram as many people in as possible, the chairs were pushed close together and it had forced her to squish up against Shoto. Yuga was sitting on the other side of, but his touch didn't burn like Shoto's did. Any movement would cause her insides to rile and wail, so she remained stiff. The back of her hand unintentionally brushed against the pants on his thigh and she kept her right hand clinging to the bear he had given her. Obviously, he had given her the bear because it had become a little joke between them – if they sold funnels, he would have given her that. It was a silly joke that friends shared. There was no other meaning behind it, of course. And she liked stuffed animals. Friends do that, she said to herself again.

Despite how little she focused, the play moved on quickly anyway. They had attempted to abridge a usual two and a half hour play into one hour and act one was already finished, which meant they removed some of the more emotional aspects of the show. Act one ended with the hero choosing to let his love die because he believed the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Act two, however, was him trying to deal with the aftermath of it all and if he had made the right decision, and debating if it was something he should do again. And of course, as most recent productions did, the hero was modeled after a young All Might.

Thankfully, the soft hum of Kairi's phone snapped her from her distracted thinking. Desperate for something to turn away her thoughts, she fished it out, seeing a message from moment – and it halted every frantic rush that was currently playing in her. Momo had sent her a very startling message.

_I don't know if it means anything, but it's interesting at the very least. Iida and I just finished a round (he won, but BY A HAIR) and I overheard something pretty diabolical. Some guy here was talking about QuirKey and how he thought about being a test subject. Iida and I both heard him say he pulled out of it because he didn't like some of the fine print, but before he finished the process he went through some potential quirk matches for him. He said that there was one that he wished he could have tried because of all the possibilities it could have of getting others to listen to him (I'm unsure if he meant this in a negative way.) He said it was emotional manipulation by one's own emotions. -Momo_

Kairi immediately jagged Shoto in the side to get his attention, and then passed over the phone to him. As he read through the long text, his eyes slowly grew.

"This is beginning to be suspicious..." he said lowly against her ear. She shuddered, feeling a shot of tingles crawl down her spine. "Wasn't the first subject a girl with ice powers?"

"And the second had explosions..." Kairi said.

"This morning that woman talked about a quirk that was like Momo's, and then..."

"Emotional manipulation." The play was gone from their minds completely. A new message blinked across Kairi's screen, expressing the same thing they were thinking.

_Don't these quirks sound like ours?_ -_Momo_

Shoto nodded and gestured. Kairi turned and leaned over to Yuga.

"I think we're going to enjoy the rest of the festival alone," she told them quietly.

"Oh?" Yuga said, followed by an assuming smile. "Have fun then!"

"We'll catch up with you later then," Tsu agreed, and moved ther legs so the two of them could slip out. Kairi apologized as they hurried past and they slipped from the room. The door behind them slowly closed itself and the two of them quickened their pace through the hallway.

"So, what are we doing about this?" Shoto asked as they hurried past a crowd. The hallways were becoming increasingly more crowded as the day wore on. Kairi flipped inside at the sight of bodies pushing past them. She gulped and shook her head. _Focus, don't worry about the people._

"Why do all these quirks sound like ours?" Kairi questioned allowed, typing furiously against the screen on her phone. "Am I being paranoid?"

"Class 2-A has been renown for having some remarkable quirks. UA is one of the best hero schools, it doesn't surprise me they would scout us out," Shoto explained.

"But _how_? Have they just studied us and somehow replicated that?"

"If that's the case, they're not doing anything wrong," Shoto sighed. "But even so, I still question the ethics and the science of what they are doing. And what are the potential consequences?" Kairi scrolled through the list, scoffing at finding nothing. A person brushed beside her, shoving her into a wall. She hissed as her form clamped, stiffening from the surprise closeness. Instinctively, Shoto shot out his arm and clung to her tightly, catching her before she stumbled. Fire rose through her currents, shooting up to her neck. She reddened and quickly turned away.

"I... there's nothing... I can't find anything! I mean, my searching abilities are limited to social media pages for QuirKey and web searches, I don't have the resources my dad has!" she blurted. Desperation throttled her spirit. Mind furiously moved on and padded firstly, darting in and out of every crevice in her thoughts.

"Could he? Maybe we could ask him." She shook her head.

"He already checked them out. If I ask him again he would say I'm just being paranoid." She tapped at another user's page, groaning when there was nothing. "Is this all a big coincidence? I don't want someone to have my quirk or have the access to it but I have never heard of anyone having one like mine. If somehow... Or that is to say... So if they... um..." Her sentences were growing disconnected as she continued to zip. The spaces couldn't fill. Holes and blackness broke away every ounce of sense and while everything was a messy whirlwind, all that could be felt was the throb of panic in her brain. Her chest tightened and she gulped for air. Shaking, Kairi stumbled in her steps. Shoto gripped her arm, helping her stand.

Then everything burst as she fell on one picture on one account. Hidden beneath everything else, and hiding under the small follower account, was one user. Tweets were few and replies even less. Most were retweets regarding QuirKey Industries and people's excitement for the project. But the picture was of a man in a white coat. A kind man with greying hair and young eyes.

The same man who had administered her the mandatory vaccine several months prior.

* * *

**ARCH TIME! I've been planning this arch since like the story's conception so I am very very excited!**


	47. Jumping Ahead

The back of her throat became rough and patchy. Her swallow ached on the way down. Her fingers vibrated on their own as she clutched her phone tightly. Shoto arched his neck over her to get a look. His eyes brightened with disturbed awe at her find.

"That's... the man who gave us the vaccines..."

"He's a fucking _doctor_?!" Kairi squeaked, twisting her hold on her phone. "Isn't there some code they're meant to follow about _ethics?_"

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet..." Shoto said, pressing two fingers to her shaking wrist, but his voice seemed less than confident as it faded into suspicion.

"Jump to... doesn't this seem a little too weird?" she posed.

"I'm saying perhaps we should wait until we receive all the facts," Shoto said. Kairi was immediately silencing his voice around her, focusing more on the contents of her cell phone.

_Momo – look at this face. Who is this? [link] – Kairi_

The text with the attached link to the twitter page sent. Shoto watched her carefully as the two of them walked, but her focus was hardened and situated against her phone. Shoto's own abdomen flopped with his own brand of dreaded regret. He ached with uncertainty. The distressed expression she wore broke against him, but reason forced back the nagging sensation to hide her away from all things that upset her. He swallowed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

_Didn't he come to our school to do the vaccines? – Momo_

_ YES. I am very STRONGLY suspicious that he is stealing our quirks! - Kairi_

_ Maybe... are we overthinking this? – Momo_

_ But doesn't it seem weird? Every quirk so far is a powerful quirk from 2-A. He came in to do the vaccines and then QuirKey opened up applications not long after that. – Kairi_

_ I guess that is weird. It's at least enough that we can report them to the teachers and the Pro Heroes can investigate. – Momo_

Kairi froze in her step. Shoto took three paces before he noticed the emptiness beside him and spun, to see her firmly knitted brow glaring at her phone. Her lips were so tight, she briefly appeared a mannequin. Fearful suspicion dropped through Shoto and he breathed heavily, before joining by her side once more.

"Riri," he said and it was enough to warrant a glimmer of pink that followed a rush of breath. She tore her gaze away from her phone and beheld him, eyes warming at the tenderly worried expression he held. "Let's enjoy the rest of the festival. There are a few attractions we have yet to see. I think I saw a stand selling potato and cheese dumplings. You love those, correct?" Tempted, the answer rested on her lips, begging for her to reply positively. She trembled with desperate need, and then sadly dropped her eyes.

"Shoto, we need to know what's going on. I can't enjoy myself when the potential of something diabolical is happening and I don't do anything about it," Kairi softly said, looking at her phone expectantly. The pulling want to just follow her words, go along with whatever she said, seeing the desperation as it watered her eyes.. it drove spikes through him. He kept his twitching arms at his sides. There was a protocol, he reminded himself. There were things heroes had to do. Determined to avoid the lure of her begging eyes, he glared at the ground again, kicking around a pebble in his path.

"I can't tell you how much I... how much that part of you... means to me..." He stumbled over his words, summoning a pink glare to illuminate his face. "That's the thing that drives you to be a hero. But Riri, there are reasons why there are steps and protocols to follow as well. You can't simply make decisions because certain coincidences line up or things are weird. I will give you that, it's weird. And I am not saying you're wrong. But this needs to be reported, and the Pro Heroes can investigate it."

"That's where you're wrong," Kairi bit, voice sharp. His response tore through her and left her gaping. His words were jagged and felt traitorous, angrily ripping at the threads she had tied around him. Clearly, he could see how suspicious this all was! How could he not notice what was right before his eyes. Amber eyes dotted with her offended tears. She rolled her shoulders back and tightened her own hold against her chest. "There's also circumstantial evidence, and you're allowed to do a check based on that."

"That's exactly why we let the Pro Heroes know," Shoto said, nodding. "So they can follow it through based on the circumstantial evidence."

"There's so much red tape and paper work to get through that!" Kairi blurted, drawing the attention of the various festival attendees around her. She crippled her nervousness and dipped a little behind Shoto. Her fingers tapped against her leg. "If they have our quirks, they took them without our permission. Imagine how powerful our quirks are, especially in the hands of people who don't have the training to use them! God, what if Momo is right and that person did want to use my quirk for diabolical reasons? It's my worst fear. Someone else having mine... I was almost comforted with the hope I was just a rarity and maybe no one else had it. But now, not only is it possible for someone else to have it – _multiple_ people could _choose_ to have it, and they might do terrible things with it!" The trembling in her fingers had now begun its course, shuddering her whole form while she stood before him. Black streaked down her face as her tears caught the remainder of her makeup. Shoto shifted on his feet, discomfort swelling in him, paired with her own misery. "I can't just sit by and let that happen! Especially not when it's my quirk! And it was taken, without my knowledge or consent!"

"And that's important!" he said loudly. "Don't think for a minute I don't believe it isn't. But for god's sake, Kairi, your father is _a cop_! I haven't spent much time around him, but from what you've said, it sounds as if he is fixated on following the order or protocol, and following evidence rather than a hunch. If you respond to a situation purely based on things just seeming weird, couldn't you get in trouble for that?"

For the first time in her life, his voice was grating against her ears. She didn't want to hear him speak. Even though everything he said echoed true, and was in line with her father's words, her need for the truth was growing. Her mind was clouded by the prodding of urgency, curiosity throttling her so tight she was unable to release from it. Her ears stung. Kairi ripped her eyes from Shoto's pleading expression. She quickened her steps, moving along and slamming her fingers against the keyboard again.

"Yes, Shoto," she snarled. "However, when things seem weird you do a simple check. If someone were to call the police regarding a domestic disturbance, child endangerment, potential animal injury... if anything about a situation makes you uncomfortable, you make sure to do a check."

"Yes, but you don't take it upon yourself to do it. You call a professional to do!" Shoto shouted at her, running to catch up to her.

"We might not have time for professionals!" She growled, keeping her gaze away from him. "Shoto, if we involve the cops or the Pro Heroes, they will probably try to do things in an orderly fashion, come up with a plan. They may just try to get a warrant to search the premises, but the lab might have a plan for that. We waste time by doing that. I want my quirk back and away from those who could abuse it! The longer we wait, the more people could be getting extra quirks and misusing them!"

"If villains come about from them, they will catch them! However, if these volunteers are willing, they can't do anything about that because it's legal. Maybe they have our quirks, but the issue is, they already have them. It's not preventing anything from happening when they already have it," he rushed to say, quickening his steps to try and match her angry ones. "What even is your plan? Are you just going to break in?" Her eyes flicked in his direction for a moment – a moment enough to startle him. "Kairi, are you serious?"

"They have the potential to create a new League of Villains."

"Not everyone who wants a new quirk is evil!"

"I'm not wasting time, Shoto. You can choose if you want to come with or if you want to tell your Daddy where I'm going so he can stop me!"

_I think we need to check it out. – _Kairi

_ I don't think that's the best of ideas. We should find Mr. Aizawa and tell him – _Momo

_ Not you too! We don't have time for that! – _K

_ Me too? What do you mean by that? – _M

Shoto's face twisted with hurt. He stopped his steps and looked aside, watching a tree dance with the gentle breeze. The impact of his dejected aura was strong enough that Kairi could feed from it, growing deeper in the heavy guilt. She slowed. Rushed apologies slammed against her and pleaded to flee, ready to grovel to Shoto. Seeing him like that damaged every particle of her being and her feet burned to run to him. Kairi imagined herself, wrapping him in a hug and sobbing out every plead to be forgiven. But the importance of this was flagged at the forefront of her brain. The complex decision pulled at her sorrow again, causing her to pause.

"I didn't even mention my father. There are other heroes," he mumbled.

"Well, are you just going to let me go, then?"

"This isn't what a hero does, Kairi. We analyze the evidence first and look at all angles and come up with a plan first. We don't just charge in."

"You do if it's life or death and action needs to be taken immediately or else someone is going to be hurt," she hissed. Fingers flew against her onscreen keyboard again.

"This isn't life or death. You want to go and check out a lab based on the possibility quirks were taken without permission."

"But it could be."

"Do you not hear what you saying right now and how ridiculous it sounds?" But the desperation was pulling at Shoto. The want was growing, the itching titillation of needing to know. Anger was flourishing as he considered the possibility that seemed to grow with every second – their quirks were stolen. An untrained person with any or both of his quirks, and someone who may have had nefarious reasons for wanting them. No training, no control. It could be disastrous. His stomach flipped with intensity and despite what he said, it was becoming less ridiculous sounding. Words once rough were now beginning to mellow into something a siren call, their sweetness making them easier to digest. And the look on her face was tugging at his core, needy and desperate. Becoming putty before her, he rolled his fingers into a fist as the will to resist slowly slipped from him.

"I can deal with the consequences when they happen," she said. Fear strained at her face. That invisible cage wound around her abdomen, wringing her out as it pushed every piece of grief in her tears. Panic darted through the crevices of her mind as her chest burst. His eyes were softened and that same gentle patter for him became audible once more. Flesh crinkled with bumps and she felt small again, unable to hold his eyes. "I... I know this isn't ideal. I can't let it go, Shoto. It's all I can think about and my body just.. just wants to move. To do something, I can't... There is a need to... That is I... I just need to move! To do it. I can't let it go, it's swirling around in my mind and infecting me and it's my fixation and... this is a violation of me, of my friends, of you..." As words tumbled out of her mouth quickly, Shoto stepped forward. Her explanation grew more wild and frantic as her panic set in deeper. His hands shot forward, searching for a way to soothe her, in whatever way possible. A palm pressed against her arm, tightening its hold against her skin. She gasped at the touch, words fading when he pressed against her. Breaths quickened, before they mellowed against. He met with the golden light in her amber eyes, keeping them still.

"We can head down to the lab," he explained. "We see if anyone will speak to us. If we have reason to suspect, then we can react on that. But we cannot go in basing only on assumptions. I'll go with you, Kairi... and we'll see." She nodded, and then looked down at her phone, reading the thread of messages in her exchange. She held it away from Shoto, pushing away guilt as hard as she could.

_I know I'm the last person you want to talk to but I think you need to know what's going. [link] I think QuirKey has taken our quirks, yours included. I think it comes back to the man who gave us "vaccines". – _Kairi

_ Yeah? How does this relate to me? It's not like it's unheard of for quirks to be similar! Besides, they may have just created a synthetic quirk based on mine! We ARE a famous class and were on TV, in case you've forgotten, Hoshino! – _Bakugo

_ Except they've already done things for ice powers, I heard someone talking about going through them for a creation quirk, I heard someone else talking about an emotional manipulation quirk, and awhile ago someone was given a quirk exactly like yours through them. Read through these articles [link] [link] [link] – _Kairi

_ You expect me to read through all that, nerd? Yeah, right. But I have to admit, you might have a point. – _Bakugo

_ I'm trying to head there right now, check out the situation. – _Kairi

_ You idiot! You think you can take them with that lame mood change of yours? – _B

_ Why do you think I'm texting you? I thought you would jump at the chance to take down someone who stole your quirk. – _K

_ You're taking me over IcyHot? That's surprising! -_B

_ He's not thrilled about jumping into action about things. – _K

_ Yeah. I'll be there. Festival's lame anyway. You just better not be making me feel weird things again! – _B

She gulped, reading over her recent exchange. She shook her head and kept on going, moving to another text chain.

_Shoto and I are going to check it out. [link] Here's the address. – _Kairi

_ I'm not sure that's a good idea, Kairi... – _Momo

_ Then don't come. – _K

She breathed, and then continued. She repeated a lot of what she said in a new text thread and then continued to type away.

_Therefore, I am convinced QuirKey has our quirks. Shoto and I are going to see if we can talk to them but I doubt we are going to get far. This whole thing has felt fishy from the beginning and I can't just let it be going on. Something needs to be done. It needs to be checked out. There's no reports regarding anything similar to your quirk yet but considering a lot of people will probably be wanting something like All Might's and your quirk is basically All Might's... they might be using yours too, Izuku – _Kairi

She sighed with reluctance as she sent off the last text.

"We should stop by the locker rooms and get our costumes," Kairi said. Shoto clapped her shoulder.

"We're just checking them out, remember?"

"I-" she began, but he looked at her expectantly. She nodded, sighing. "Yeah... just checking." Her fingers twitched.


	48. Going to QuirKey

The two of them made a short stop at the dorm to drop their items. Kairi rubbed a moist make-up wipe across her face and tied her still curly hair out of her face before pulling the hood of her panda sweatshirt over the top of the head – small rounded black ears standing straight up on the fabric. She chose to leave behind her purse and instead shoved her few necessities into the front pocket of her sweatshirt. Running downstairs, Shoto was already waiting for her, directions to the lab on his phone.

"Looks like it's just outside the city," he said, shutting the door behind them. "It may take a while to get there."

"Hmm," Kairi muttered, guts already contorted as she considered the day. It was Saturday. Festival Day. The buses would be packed and they were going to spend quite a while on them. Her veins froze. "Let's just get it over with."

"We can just let some of the teachers or heroes know," Shoto suggested softly. "Don't put yourself through unnecessary discomfort."

"It's necessary," she replied with a strained gruffness to her voice. Arms pulled further into herself as the two of them walked silently down the road. A few students passed by them, laughing from the activities they had just enjoyed at the school. Kairi swallowed and pulled at the strings on her hood, tightening the enclosure so all her hair was hidden. Silently, they stood beside the bus stop sign.

"You... erm... did well today," Shoto whispered, reaching behind to rub the back of his head. He felt heavy, and enveloped by a deep tension. The color on his face brightened.

"Thanks," she replied sharply. The tenderness of his comment flowered her soul and she winced at the rapturous feeling. She loved it, and hated it for that reason. "Guess I got something out of that _Dungeons and Dragons_ I played a long time ago."

"Isn't there like... an MMO you play that's like that?"

"I don't play a Dungeons and Dragons MMO. The super popular one is boring to me."

"Something like that, I mean."

"You mean _Seawall: The Dark Prophecies_?" she asked, soundly mildly interested again. She shrugged. "Don't understand how that helped me with today."

Shoto's spirit flourished, energized by an excited want.

"I had thought that maybe I could download it and we could play it sometime," he said very slowly. His body struggled to push out the words, breath catching against them. His center filled with an erratic weight; unable to move and yet flitting everywhere at once. Feeling warm and jittery, he swallowed.

"Why would you want to do that?" she huffed. The harshness of the words on her voice grated through her, but she couldn't understand her feelings or why he was talking about this now. His earlier words about just letting this issue slip from them and asking for help from one of the pros... it still trickled down her spine and made her want to wriggle with irritation. How could he decide to do that when this was such an urgent matter? By taking her quirks, they had violated a part of them all – they had taken one of their precious parts without permission or their knowledge. It churned her gut, making her taste the rolling bile. How could he just be okay with that? Her blood sang with desire to take the matter into her own hands. She wrung them together as lights of the bus came into view.

"I thought you might... enjoy it?" Shoto guessed, soul deflating at the coldness of her answer. The bus groaned while it slowed, and doors propped open. Kairi waited, but Shoto waved a hand in front of himself. "You go first."

"Thanks," she whispered again and took a slow step in front of her. Sure enough, as thought – faces were pressed against windows and only a sliver of an aisle split between the curtain of humans. She rolled in the breaths, taking them in deeply as her palms prickled with nervous heat. Her body grew rigid at the gentle trace of fingers against her spine.

"I'm right here." The words buzzed along the shell of her ear, Shoto's lips hovering so close she could feel the moisture on his breath. She rolled her shoulders as the words slid over her, trying hard not to become drugged on the infectious tone he left. Shivering, she found an empty patch of flooring and stood – Shoto pushed himself close to her. The bus breathed again and jostled the patrons as it moved again. Without hesitating, he raised his hand and placed it to the back of Kairi's neck. Fire flew up her body and she couldn't remember a single word to speak. She stood, as the suffocation from around her grew tense in her, but Shoto's action simultaneously melted and stirred her up. Swayed by her own heavy emotions, too much of her was used up to form a thought. She kept her hands clasped together and just told herself to breathe. Those around her shifted awkwardly in their seats. She shut her eyes at the sound of one passenger yell at the other for kicking. The driver called back for the passengers to settle down, sounding angry himself. While her body shook, her spine soothed. Her attention targeted Shoto's hand, resting on the back of her neck. For a moment she found the will to look at him, admiring the shimmer on his white hair, and the vibrancy in his red. His eyes caught the light and danced before them. Determined, unwavering, and not at all embarrassed by everyone seeing how gently he placed his hand on her. He remained quiet, staring at the floor. Tucked so tightly on the bus, Kairi could feel his side radiating through her sweatshirt, building an anxious fire inside her. God... could these feelings be cured? She was in so deep, could she pull herself out? Liking someone, liking anyone was intensely problematic for her... It just couldn't be, and yet it was. He pissed her off earlier and yet underneath anger, her heart still fluttered, her pulse still raced. He still could cause her to feel dizzy. Mentally, she beat herself; He made her so angry and yet she still wanted to feel him near her. What a fickle, silly thing feelings were. How annoying.

Two more buses and they left at nearly the last stop. Kairi swallowed and breathed heavily as they stepped off the bus. The light was beginning to dip from their view and the sky glowed with purple. The festivals around the area were likely cleaning up, ending things for the night. Kairi checked her phone.

_On my way – _Bakugo

_ Here with Shoto – _Kairi

Walking a ways down the street they were greeted with a concrete wall, extended far down the corner. She remained behind him, quiet as they walked against the hushed sound of cars passing in the distance and a sharpness that echoed through the air.

"There's cameras," Shoto said, gesturing to a one eyed crane that arched over them. Before them stood a wide metal gate, one that was meant to allow cars to pass through. Beyond the gate was a road that moved past a dimly lit security booth. There was someone sitting in it, but they weren't paying too close attention. A generic grey geometric building lay before them – little windows save for the small rectangular ones around the base and at the top of the building. A large white door awaited them in the center of the building.

"That's fine – we're not doing anything wrong," Kairi said. She moved past the front of the gate, to the other side where Shoto stood. There a white speaker with a red button – a place to speak to the security booth. Her hand paused over it, just at the moment her muscles stiffened and refused to reply. What would she even say? Who was that in the booth? As wronged as she felt, as gross... how could she talk to them? That cage returned, encapsulating her form and keeping her prisoner. Her windpipe clamped shut as words left her, refusing to comply. The certainty fell on her that she was about to make herself an idiot the moment she spoke. There was no way she could talk to them, this was a mistake, this was a terrible idea, but they stole her fucking quirks. She was a _hero¸ _she couldn't let something like stupid social anxiety halt her now. How would she react in the field, what sort of person was she that she couldn't say something as simple as "hi" to people who, by the way, very likely _stole her quirk_ from her, this was everyday stuff to most people and yet she...

Shoto's finger held down the button.

"State your name and business for visiting QuirKey," came a female voice over the crackly speaker.

"We had some questions to ask the scientists at QuirKey."

"Again. State your names." Kairi shook her head, begging to not say anything.

"We're students from UA."

A pause, then: "Please state your names or I will have to ask you to vacate the premises." A ping. Kairi checked her phone.

_Did you go to QuirKey? – _Izuku

_ Did Momo say something to you? – _Kairi

_ She was concerned. – _Izuku

"Shoto Todoroki and... a friend."

Quiet.

"What are these questions?"

"Basic questions, for hero research and information for the hope of proper utilization from your organization," Shoto whispered into the speaker as he held down the button. Kairi cocked a brow.

"You practically spat out a verse," she teased lightly. He smirked, delighted by the whimsical comment.

After waiting several moments, the gate buzzed and slowly began to swing out. Kairi weaved around her as Shoto followed behind her. The two of them walked up the dark path with the security officer peering through the glass from her booth. Her eyes expanded, appearing familiar with image of the boy before her, his hair two different colors.

"Shoto Todoroki?" she guessed, but it was more of a statement. He nodded. The guard looked past him and to the trembling girl who stood behind him. Kairi kept her head down, paying more attention to the road beneath her feet. Shoulders closed in as the ambiance of the night great heavier. "And this is..."

"Just my friend," Shoto replied, reluctant to say. The guard glowered at him firmly.

"I am going to need her name."

"Why is the name important?" he asked calmly. Kairi squeaked.

"KairiHoshino," she answered quickly. Every ounce of her will pushed out the smallest sound, stringing both her names together in a rushed mess. Her body sighed when she finally let it go, though her soul winced at the pain it had caused. She trembled. The guard nodded firmly, and then raised a finger for them to wait. The woman turned and picked up her cell phone from the desk, swiping across it. Silently, they stood and waited.

Kairi looked over to Shoto, who would ask a question with his eyes. At the look he gave her, her body wobbled nervously and she turned away. The darkness around them thankfully hid the red blemishes on her face from him, but her soul was still jumping wildly. The girl kept her hands to her sides to hold in the euphoric trembling.

The guard talked lowly, and they were able to catch only every fourth word. The building anticipation was causing Kairi to be agitated, and its effect could be seen in how Shoto rocked in his otherwise still position. He let out a rather boisterous sigh, becoming impatient with how long this was taking. The guard set down the phone and nodded. Shoto stepped to the grill space in the window.

"You may enter the building, but you are only allowed to speak to the front desk. You are not allowed to go in the lab."

"Understood. Thank you," replied Shoto. He turned from the window and gestured to Kairi. She swallowed, and pushed her heavy legs forward.

Each step felt like walking through wet cement. It hurt to push through, to force herself through the anxiety that pounded through her. Her insides were screaming for her to get away while her heart raced, unaware of what they would be met with or how they would respond too such questions. The second gate before them opened, and Shoto slowed his walk for her to catch up. She dragged her feet behind, her determination and morals pushing her on but all the insecurity and introversion pulled her back. Shaking arms clutched herself as she trudged forward. Her mind screamed in desperation and vision became fuzzy the closer she moved towards the door. It wiggled before her, head becoming light and airy. Shoto reached to catch her, as her movements wobbled slightly.

"We've already come this far," he reminded her. "They've allowing us to ask our questions. But if you want to turn around..."

"No," she hissed, ripping her arm away and an adrenaline spirit found her again. "No. I need to... to do... I have to do this." Shoto nodded, and guided her along.

There was an obnoxious sound, signaling the opening of the industrial door. Shoto grabbed it and gestured for Kairi to go ahead of him. She swallowed, feeling that pit deepen in her again, and then slowly moved forward.

In moments, they were walking through an offensively bright hallway. Kairi dropped her eyes, sore from the intensiveness of their light. Walking close beside each other, they remained silent. Eyes would quickly look over at each other, and then back at the wall. Tensions thickened.

The hallway expanded out to a wide, oval shaped desk. Two persons sat at the desk, scanning over computer screens and fingers flying over keyboards. One of them wore a long white coat, while the other was dressed more casually, showing his fur and a head that seemed stuff halfway between a more humanoid face and a lion's face. Shoto cleared his throat as he approached. Both of the men looked up. Kairi's chest dropped with disappointment, noticing how neither of them looked like the man with the young eyes.

"Todoroki?" guessed the man in the coat. He rose from his chair and extended a hand over the desk. "Nice to meet you. You can call me Tsushima." Shoto took the hand, gripping it firmly. Kairi's own eyes scanned the area, assessing the layout and the minimal show of signs around the lobby. There was a door to the right that led into the actual lab, with several notices detailing important information. She squinted to get a better look.

"We won't take up too much of your time," Shoto said, dropping his hand. "We just had a few questions."

"Of course, though everything is listed on our website," Tsushima chuckled.

"Your website does have a lot of information," Shoto agreed. "It doesn't explain how you make the quirks you use."

"Well, that's a simple science of genetic engineering, of course. I mean, I could go in depth in the science on that but unless you've been a scientist for many years it might take a long time for you to truly understand." Shoto narrowed his eyes.

"I'm the son of the top Pro Hero, one of the best students, in the best class, at the best Hero school. Do you really expect me to be just a dumb child?" His tone was short and harsh, causing the scientist behind the desk to visibly sweat.

"N-no... of course not. However, it is a lengthy process and would take time in explaining it. And it isn't just one person who does the process. We all have our own role in how we created it. It's a group effort."

"If it's a lengthy process, isn't it correct that such an achievement would take years to perfect synthetically engineering genes to display a quirk? Quirkblocking itself took many years to develop and it's a simple process," Shoto explained. Kairi's eyes still wandered the pale and boring structure, seeing little creativity in the design of the place and catching several cameras in the area with little inspiration. What a dull place to work, and absolutely no clues to show themselves.

"Well, it's not as if we weren't," Tsushima responded, voice wavering as he spoke. "It was something we had been developing for years." The man's voice was beginning to gnaw at Kairi's eardrum. She bit her lip, pulse becoming aggressive as patience thinned.

"Then how does that explain that in your trials you were able to replicate powerful quirks perfectly?" Shoto asked calmly. "And so quickly? Most scientific testing requires a lot of trial and error, but less than a couple of years you go from having an idea to already testing it. In mere months the process is finally developed and now you're almost ready to declare it open to the public. With quirks as powerful as these, the minimum should be ten years."

"We have an excellent team, and we are very efficient," Tsushima said. His inflection changed as he fed off the anger that grew in Kairi. His nostrils widened with his rage and he stood over Shoto with a glowering gaze. Neck tensed as he spoke authoritatively. "You're offended by how good the scientists who work here are? Are you appalled by how quickly our science has moved?" Kairi's patience broke. She slammed a hand on the counter.

"Answer the goddamned question!" she screamed finally, challenging them with her ferocious eyes. Both the lion man and Tsushima jumped back from her sudden change in demeanor. "You are walking around it right now? Do you take us for fools?! We're kids, but that doesn't make us fucking idiots! You think we wouldn't be so in tune to everything we wouldn't know that every quirk you're using it from UA! You're using Shoto's quirk, you're using mine! You're using our friend's quirk, and one of our classmate's! Do you have all the whole class? Do you have the Pro Heroes that work there too?!"

"Little Girl, I'm going to ask you to control your temper and I am going to allow you the opportunity to march out of here before security is called!" The lion man beside them was already reaching for his phone. But Kairi was boiling, a fire rushing through every crevice in her veins. She was energetic, ready to shoot forward and blast a destructive hole. She growled, furious.

"Excuse me, but you don't have any right to talk to me that way!" she shouted, combusting wildly. "I realize this is probably run by mostly much older men, but are you so incompetent about technology, you didn't realize I could easily cross-search the internet and discover that one of the main heads here happens to be the same man who pretended to be a nurse at our school to administer 'mandatory vaccines'? Are you that fucking stupid?! Did you think we would not put them together?!"

"You're out of your mind, Kid! What the hell would we be doing at a school? There hasn't been anything on-"

A rapturous shake followed a distant angry growl across the building, just as sirens wailed obnoxiously, backed by a consistent ringing. Scarlet lights swept the walls as alarms were triggered and the lion man immediately set down his phone.

"The security system," he said quietly. Tsushima growled.

"Yes, I can tell it's the goddamn security system, someone's broken in! I bet these fucking kids here have something to do with!"

"Uh, we tried to do this the legal way!" Kairi squeaked. Tsushima lunged across the desk, just as the door behind them flew in them with the female security guard running down the hall. Shoto responded, extending an arm to brandished a ten foot wall between them and the lobby.

"Makino, go after them!"

"There's ten feet of ice in my way!"

"Then call the police! Call Endeavor while you're at it, and let him know his son is here!"

"What was that noise?"

"Cameras showed that the northeast side of the building endured a massive explosion, but I didn't see anyone set it up..."

Their talk faded as Shoto gripped Kairi's arm and ripped open the door to the lab in front of them. Together, they ran down the hall, passing rows of doors with plagues on them explaining their use. With no time to read them, the pair pounded on. Kairi's chest urgently slammed against her ears. Anger mixed with her anxiety, energizing her as she sped through the hall. She was vaguely aware that they were officially in some sort of major trouble, but it wasn't at the front of her mind. All she felt was the acrid taste of anger in her mouth. They were hiding something. She knew it. Everything about QuirKey felt wrong, and the science moved way too fast for it to be ethical of any kind. Her blood sang its desire for answers, and its adrenaline pulled her faster through the hall. Shoto ran alongside her, struggling to keep up with her pace. She skidded towards a wall, and gestured to a door that opened to a set of stairs. Shoto nodded, and Kairi opened it. They ventured onwards, running wherever they could until they could figure out some sort of plan. They sped down the steps and grabbed the first down they saw, missing the sign that read "Toxic Gases Testing Room."

* * *

**It seems rather cruel to leave you on this cliffhanger for a time, but unfortunately I will be unable to update for a few days. I am leaving town for the weekend and will not be able to update. Of all things, this had to be in the middle of the big arch lol. I am sorry though, and when I come back you will see a new chapter! **


	49. Locked Down

The latch could be heard clicking into place. Kairi sprung towards the door and clasped her fingers around the curve of the metal handle. Hands pulled up on it, but it didn't make any move of budging. She turned left, and then right. Feet planted against the ground as she pulled harder. Her heart paced quicker as the tension built in her, pushing her emotion through her esophagus. Gasping, her throat squeezed. Desperate terror spilled in.

"Are we locked in?" Shoto asked, calmly coming up behind her.

"It must be the security system in place!" she yelled, jumping back from it. "They're locking the place up!"

"That explosion – that's weird that it happened right when we arrived..." he muttered thoughtfully. Her heart halted and iced her spine. Her stomach dropped as she remembered with sickness – she hadn't told him. Fingers tangled together, fidgeting again. She swayed in her step, keeping her gaze from him.

"It's not that weird..." she whispered. He arched a brow.

"It isn't?"

"Not when I... told... Bakugo to come here..." Slowly, his eyes expanded. Lines around his jaw could be seen tensing. His shoulders rose with his deep, patient breath.

"Are you mad, Kairi?" he said quietly. She winced, feeling the harsh jab of his words.

"I.. I mean... maybe?" He huffed and stalked towards the other side of the room, looking around at the line of cabinets that sat at the back. He frowned at the complicated long names that indicated some kind of scientific chemicals behind them. Another cabinet was labeled with Safety Equipment.

"You can't stand Bakugo. Was your desire to be right so strong that you asked him to come?" The tone of his voice was brutal, but disappointed. Chilled by her own brokenness, Kairi shrunk. She whimpered and trace patterns with her feet on the floor, wringing her hands together.

"It just _felt_ wrong. And I had to do something! If you weren't with me, I knew Bakugo would be offended at the idea of his quirk being stolen. You're right I can't stand him at all, but I knew he could help get the job done. And I knew you would want to do things by the book-"

"There's a reason things are done by the book, Kairi!" he snapped, watching her flinch at the slice of his words. "There's a protocol! A protocol that you, as a hero in training, are expected to follow!"

"But considering that no one was immediate danger, the police would let it sit! It would take time to be investigated! I know how this works! Even more urgent cases aren't solved this quickly and I couldn't let anyone else have my quirk!" The stew of her grief was beginning to boil and bubble over. Her body filled with the shaking misery and she trembled. Shoto's shaking shoulders betrayed him, catching her feelings. He crossed his arms in front of him, creating the illusion of still being upset. Instead, a heavy grief sickened him, and he felt the sense in her answer. Her words didn't sway him, but he could feel what she meant. Guiltily, he looked to the side, trying to avoid seeing her shuddering figure.

She sobbed now, pouring out herself into her hands. It cut straight through her. She had fucked up and she knew it. The protocol still felt wrong, but this was definitely not the way to approach it. And getting Bakugo involved... what was she thinking? She really was being selfish. Letting fear of her own quirk and what it could do... it got the best of her. So much it brought them this far and they would about to get in the worst trouble. The school expected better of both of them, and they failed them. Failure dragged her down, sinking into herself. She felt it. The way she failed her father. The way her teachers would look down on her. And Shoto's face... the way he had looked at her now. He would continue to look at her that way. Those feelings for him, they shattered and bled. It was becoming hard to stand and Kairi fell onto her knees. Shoto grimaced, pacing in his step as her intense feelings were becoming too much for him to handle.

"Kairi," he said softly, still blinking as he turned to look at her. He sighed and walked towards him. "Kairi, listen." The boy lowered himself before her and touched her wrist. Her veins sang at his touch, but she ripped herself away. "This is a conversation we can have later. We have to get out of here first." She sobbed heavily, still unable to hear him. He sighed.

That was the moment when a loud buzzer sounded in the room, and a bright red light flicked up. The both of them looked up, Kairi wiping at her eyes. A bright sign rested next to the light, a small digital screen counting down from 60.

"'Toxic Gas Test in Progress. Please Remain In Observation Room?!'" Shoto read, voice growing louder with each word. Her body clamped together with dread.

"A toxic gas testing chamber?!" Kairi squeaked. "What do they _do_ here?!" Shoto didn't pause to answer, and was gripping her wrist firmly, pulling her to her feet. His eyes went to the small door on the end, a sign reading "OBSERVATION ROOM." With his other hand, he tugged on the metal handle, jerking at it with no luck. He growled and shot a blast of against it, hoping to break the door handle. However, the handle only remained encased in the globe of ice he shot at it. Kairi tore away from him and ran to the safety equipment cabinet. Nails dragged at the edge of it, but it didn't move. Her agitated gaze noted the silver circle that held a place for a key.

"Twenty seconds," Shoto read.

"I know!" she screamed. His eyes lit as an idea came over him. He flew back over to where she was still crouched in front of the cabinet. He slid onto his knees in front of her, and flung his left arm around her. Right hand swung around and quickly drew a panel of ice around them, encasing them an odd-shaped enclosure. At its sealing, a choir of several vents hummed as they blasted out whatever toxic substance was being fed into the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Kairi asked. "Okay yeah – clearly, Bakugo broke in and that was bad, but are they really trying to kill us?"

"You might have been right about something very wrong going on..." Shoto admitted, dropping his arm from but still remaining incredibly close. The tightness of the strange igloo he had just crafted left little room for them to move around, so he was forced to remain close to her. However, it still left Kairi's cheeks to flourish with pink and her skin to boil pleasantly. Her center flew rummaged about behind her chest. She gulped, skin crawling with anticipation and nervousness of... something.

"Y-yeah..." she stumbled, swallowing harshly. "I meant I felt it but... even so couldn't they just... arrest us?"

"Maybe Bakugo _really_ did something?"

"They haven't tried to come down this way so maybe they don't know where we are?"

"But they turned on the gas, and I'm sure they have the cameras on."

"But we're protected by your quirk." The air began to nip at her heated skin. She pulled her legs in closer to her chest.

"I don't know how long this will last. We won't be able to stay in here too long or else we'll begin to slip into hypothermia. If I try to warm us with my fire, I risk letting in the gas." A force ripped at her ribs, plunging terror and uncertainty through her. They were trapped?

"We have nowhere to go?" Her voice cracked. His eyes, both warm despite their varying colors, looked down on her gently. Her heart flared with excited heat. While the outside of her was chilling by the minute, her insides were vibrant.

"I'm going to keep you safe, Kairi. No matter what it takes." The breath that left her was painfully chilled, a white puff escaping her mouth as it conflicted with the cold air. Her phone sang and she shifted awkwardly to fish it from her sweatshirt pocket. Her air hovered over it, becoming more visible as their cocoon grew colder.

_Where the hell are you? – _Bakugo

_We're stuck. The security system went off and we're stuck in the toxic gas room. A gas has been turned on. _– Kairi

_You're WHAT? Hoshino, you idiot, how the hell could you get stuck there? Of all places?_ – Bakugo

_Where are you? –_ Kairi

_Currently trying to get these goons off my back_! – Bakugo. Then, as if proof, the room thundered as a result of a nearby boom. Then, the sound of splintering forced her head up.

"Shit_,_" Shoto breathed, seeing the same thing that had frozen Kairi. A portion of the ice around them, was visibly thinner than the rest. As a result, it fractured and began to weave its spindly line through the thin section. Just before Shoto could raise an arm to add to it and strengthen its integrity, another distant blast disturbed the ice again, and the weak section collapsed into them. Kairi screamed and turned instinctively into Shoto. He pulled her in, shielding her from the haze that poured into their once safe haven. They both breathed. Kairi took in a heavy breath against Shoto's shirt, letting his scent fill her and trying hard to remember how soothing he was. She told herself, she was safe with him. No matter what was happening, everything would be okay with him beside her, but there was no way to trick her logic this time. She knew that whatever this gas was, it was going to be a quick process. Whatever it did, whatever it was composed of... And even then, as she tried to trick herself it would be fine... Her muscles slipped away. A weight dropped on her and kept pushing, bearing til it was too much and she just released, sinking into the call of the atmosphere around her. Surrendering, it became gentle and easy, weaving over and carrying her away. Feeling light and free of every stress she had endured, she yawned, deciding she wanted to just close her eyes for a minute, and take a nap. She shut her eyes.

Shoto was slowly rolling his phone over in his hands. He huffed angrily, feeling Kairi bob against his shoulder. Lethargic fingers struggled to move over his screen, searching for a name. Like her though, he was finding the lightness alluring and fell into it, swept away by the embracing touch. A pleasant feeling rose in him, a rising urge to take a rest. Fighting against the strength of his eyelids, the power of the gas won out and pulled him down. He gave in. Angered guilt screamed to get out, but exhaustion was pulling him down, and the comfort of Kairi's warmth beside him only sweetened the offer of sleep. Gritting his teeth, he surrendered to defeat and slipped away.

When they awoke, they both called out. Wrists throbbed and their necks and spines ached with stiffness. Shoto woke up first, blinking several times and finding his vision sill mildly blurry. He shook himself, finding a lack of mobility and a heaviness in his posture. Shoulders shrugged, pulling his arms forward – except something blocked them, and he couldn't raise them from their position. Shoto looked over to either side, seeing metal clamps tightly holding each wrist against a shiny metal table. Eyes scanned over the rest of his body, seeing that his feet were also being held in place, but a bar secured them. His back was pressed against firmly against the table, the source of his spinal stiffness. He growled lowly, and then concern whipped his head to his left.

Kairi tossed her head, stretching her neck. She winced at the pressure that ached her hips. Her panda sweatshirt was covered in dark streaks of filth. Loose waves still fell unkempt in her hair. She blew aside a few loose strands and then immediately regretted looking in the direction of a large bright fluorescent hanging over them. Like Shoto, hands were held against her identical table via metal clamps. Panic rose and tousled her spirit. She kicked and whimpered at the feel of the feel of the bar across her legs. Breaths shortened, growing louder and harsher each second. Mania gripped her and she rocked her body, fear desperately reaching for the clasp that would unleash her from this. The table whined as she shook, screaming.

"What... Wh... WHAT?!" was all she could yell. She whipped her head around as much as she could, searching around the rom. Bland and white, the pale room was simple, like the other rooms in the building... or wherever they were if they weren't still in the building. Basic cabinets lined the wall with tags and notices she couldn't read through her fogged vision. It was bright, thanks very much to the fluorescent lights around the room. In the corner was a large sink with a poster illustrating proper hygiene. Between the two tables the student were strapped to, a metal trolley rested with various unknown instruments, but they looked menacing and sharp.

"Kairi," Shoto said calmly at first. His voice muffled and distant, she continued to thrash, crying out.

"LET ME OUT!" she screamed.

"Kairi!" he shouted again. "Stop! You're going to hurt yourself..."

"No! No, what's going on!? What's this, why... what are they going... LET US OUT!"

"_I WOULD ADVISE YOU STOP THRASHING_!" came a boisterous voice from... somewhere. The ceiling, it seemed. It was striking enough to stop her violent shaking and reduce her terror to trembles. Inside, however, her gut was flying around and ricocheting across every part of her and unable to rest. She curled her fingers and scratched against the metal table. Teeth nodded on the edge of her lip.

"What is this? Who are you?" Shoto shouted at the ceiling.

"I made a mistake, okay?" Kairi said, gulping on her shuddering words. "I'm sorry. I'll say it a million times, I'm sorry, I screwed up! I made a faulty decision based on pride and arrogance and... and my stupid... feelings..."

"Apologize to me later," he said calmly. "When we get out of here." He wriggled his hands under the clasps. His eyebrows furrowed and he tried as best he could to look down at them. Fingers flexed and drew back in. "What?"

"What?"

"I can't... my quirk..."

"_Give me just a moment and I will be there to explain everything_," came the voice again. Though it sounded angry before, it seemed gentle and soothing this time. Kairi's rage pulsed.

"NO! YOU TELL US NOW!" But silence met with her. Her panic was being lulling by the anger that flooded inside her.

"This doesn't make sense. I should be able to use my quirk, even if I'm restrained," Shoto muttered. The girl arched her body as much as she could, looking over at him. Like her, he was covered in dark streaks, hair shaded by dirt. The sleeve of his shirt had been ripped loose from its seam.

"You can't use your quirk?"

"No... What happened to Bakugo? Wasn't he exploding the building or something?" Kairi shook her body, hoping the feel the pressure of her phone in her pocket, but there was nothing.

"Do you have your phone on you?" Shoto wriggled his hips.

"I... don't think I can feel it in my pocket." The stirrings of emotions spilled over and she wailed. Loudly. In the most sniveling and unattractive chorus of coughs and sobs. Shoto winced, turning his eyes away. Her core tensed. The heft of guilt pulled and split through her center. Her heart bled through her grief. This was the most awful thing she had ever done, and it had locked her and Shoto away. She couldn't stand it. Her best friend. Someone so important to her.

"I told you... I tried to tell you... my quirk... it makes a mess of everything! I screw things up and this time... I fucking did it! For real this time, Shoto!"

"I told you, apologize later!" he snapped. "I followed you, didn't I? Even knowing how bad of an idea it was?"

"Then why did you come with?"

"What if I hadn't?" he said. "You would be in here alone right now. Think about what sort of mess you would be in then."

"But at least it would have been my decision and my consequence alone! You wouldn't have had to suffer!"

"You're wrong – I would have suffered. I would have wondered where you were, what happened to you. Things your father is probably thinking right now." _Fuck. My father_. "And now you're thinking about that, I can tell. I knew you were never just going to ask questions and be satisfied and leave. I didn't want you to be alone. I know you don't like to be alone in even the smallest of anxious situations. Something like this..." he shook his head. "I'm going to be honest. I was worried for you. I'm sorry if I overstepped bounds but I was... I was so worried for you."

_I was worried around you._ She shouldn't be ready to combust into laughter, glad to hear such words. She should be panicking, she should be scared and screaming to get out. Yet all she wanted to do was laugh, and her smile showed that. That fluttering would not stop. She soared. She was light. She was dizzy. She was euphoric.

The door cried when it opened and the both of them shot up (as much as they could) and craned their necks to get a look at their gasp. Kairi stopped the squeak that threatened to leave her. Shoto swore under his breath.

It was the man with the greying hair and kind, young eyes.


	50. No One Else's

Fingers spread across the tablet he held in his hands. He looked down as he walked into the room, weaving around the metal beds and hummed quietly to himself. Kairi glared heavily at him, clenching her fists while she impatiently awaited him to speak.

"Okay..." he said to himself. He flicked his fingers across his digital pad. "Let's see. Hoshino was immediately thrashing and Todoroki was calm so, it doesn't appear as if the sleeping gas made them nauseous. That's a step up, at least. That isn't how I was planning on testing that particular mix but, it worked..."

"Excuse me but do you plan to continue to pretend like we're not in the room?" Kairi snipped, fury boiling. He raised his eyes, and then smiled. As if unaffected by the broiling rage that flooded her.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I get lost in my own thoughts. Welcome. My name is Arinori Kurisu. I apologize for the restraints but after you passed out, I needed to make sure you were secure and didn't thrash and were safe."

"This isn't what I would call safe," Shoto spat.

"Ah, yes I suppose it is intimidating. Unfortunately our resources are a bit limited. We're a new organization still trying to get things off the ground and we're not rolling in the money yet. We had to be a little cheap on a few things so unfortunately it looks a bit like a creepy autopsy room rather than an operation room!" he laughed nervously and then looked around him. "It's clean though! It's very important that everything is sterile. When we start to be making decent money, I hope to make this place a little more comfortable." Strange as it was, his voice was just as soft and soothing as it was when he administered the "vaccines". Kairi wanted to blaze with anger and wanted to spit out every creative expletive-filled threated his direction. The longer he spoke, the less she wanted to do so. He sounded kind, even if their current predicament did not support that theory. She remained silent.

"Where's Bakugo?" Shoto asked.

"He's being held in a different room. I need to talk to him next."

"Pfft," Kairi sputtered doubtfully. "You won't get much out of him."

"I'm already aware..." he sighed, looking more amused than annoyed.

"So you're planning to torture us?" He shook his head.

"No. I merely wanted to talk."

"Then why the restraints?" Shoto asked.

"Would you stay otherwise?" he said. He sighed and then began to pace in front of the room, setting his tablet on the counter. "Listen... Todoroki. I realize this looks... terrible. Everything Hoshino said was correct. We did take your quirks. I understand that's ethically ambiguous."

"_Ethical immoral_, you bastard!" Kairi growled.

"But we tried to synthetically create quirks – and they failed, miserably. Our methods didn't work. But they _did_ work when we copied them from quirk users. We truly wanted to create a program where we could create a better life for others. Give quirks to the quirkless, change the quirks of those who were unhappy. Removing quirks has already been done, but those who has had that done are often shunned by others and ridiculed. Our society has forgotten that we all used to be quirkless and we all needed to be treated with respect and dignity."

"So why not create a damn anti-bullying program or be a motivational speaker for acceptance?" Kairi said, hoping to sound menacing but his gentle tone was helping her remain calm.

"I tried, it went nowhere. I am a real doctor. I graduated medical school, and wanted to help people. But it wasn't that long ago that only fifty percent of the population had quirks. Now it's eighty. Every year, the amount of quirkless diminishes, meaning the chance for acceptance is growing less and less. If more people are developing quirks, those without are going to fade even further in the background and they are going to be viewed as the other. When the quirkless become so few in number, that message is no longer going to be taken to heart. But I needed to do _something_. I found a few friends, and I thought about creating quirks. After years of study and work, I thought I could do it. But then I needed to figure out where the quirks came from. After a couple more years, my comrades and I tried to synthetically create DNA and manipulate that. Then, when that didn't work, we tried to take real DNA and use the particles in that to create fake quirks. We took the DNA from consenting participants, I assure you. After many failures, we decided to test it on one of the quirked members on my team. Wouldn't you believe it? It actually worked. We rejoiced, thinking of all the good possibility of this, and how it could save the world! Can you imagine if we were able to create many All Mights? The world would be so safe!" He breathed deeply, proud and wistful of the memory he conjured in his mind.

"Are you doing that thing that villains do in movies?" Kairi hissed, trying, with failure, to shake away the restraints. "Where you monologue about your plan because you love listening to yourself talk and it ends up being your downfall?" He frowned, crestfallen.

"I'm... rather hurt you think of me as a villain, Hoshino. I can't do anything to you. I'm quirkless."

"May I direct your attention to the restraints you've put us under? And why can't I use my quirk?" Shoto said carefully.

"Oh, I apologize for that, but I wanted to avoid causing any issues. The restraints are coated with a chemical to block out elemental quirks. I coated them before you came to."

"That sounds pretty villainous to me!" Kairi sang angrily.

"I'm sorry, I truly am. But you understand trying to make the world a better place through any means necessary, right? I need to keep you here. Just long enough to extract some more blood." His voice was charmed by deep sorrow that tugged at the both of them. The wrinkles in his brow demonstrated a regret. Whatever he was doing, something was telling him it was wrong and he regretted it. But, he seemed to also feel the need for what he was doing was greater. He swallowed and stared at them for a moment, before turning back towards the counter and swiping across his tablet. "I only intend to take a bit of your blood. A small bit, I promise. Enough to supply about twenty quirks or so. The only harm I will be doing is going to be a pinch and then will be covered up with a bandage. Hoshino, I remember you hate needles, right? I promise, I will do everything I can to make it hurt as little as I can."

"That's not the fucking point!" Kairi wailed, thrashing hard against the restraints so they began to press against her wrists. A thin trail of blood lined her left wrist. Shoto's eyes caught its scarlet glimmer. His chest tensed.

"Kairi, I'm sorry but I would appreciate it if you found a way to calm down a little..." he muttered. The words lit her already smoldering fuse. Her mind exploded. Wrath fired within her.

"Are you _serious,_ Todoroki? You know how fucking much I hate it when people say that! When in all of fucking history has that ever made anyone calm down?!"

"I'm _TELLING YOU BECAUSE YOUR WRIST IS BLEEDING!_" he screamed, her rage filling the room.

"YOU THINK I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT?!"

"MAYBE I DON'T WANT YOU TO CUT YOURSELF TO RIBBONS?!"

"CHILDREN!" Kurisu blurted impatiently. "Please. Kairi, I understand you're struggling with your emotions. That's fine. I understand that perfectly and I am prepared for it, don't you worry. Shoto, I know that you deeply care about your friend's well-being, and I deeply respect you for that." The anger that was already coursing through him snapped again at the "doctor's" words and he balled his fists uselessly.

"Who gave you the privilege to use her first name?" he snarled. "And what you are saying is wrong – we would never violate our ethics and morals in order to do what's good for the world. There is no _any means necessary_. If you take anything from someone without their permission, no matter what it is, that's despicable. You've taken our blood, or DNA, our quirks without our permission!"

"I recall you willingly allowed to take them when I came to your school."

"Through deception! We believed we were taking precautions to protect ourselves. Because you were not transparent about what was being done, we didn't know what we were agreeing to!"

"That is against _the law_, _Dr._ Kurisu!" Kairi shouted angrily. "Aren't doctors supposed to take some oath of ethics? Aren't you violating it right now?"

"Are you saying you want the quirkless to continue to suffer? Are you saying you don't wish for the possibility to eliminate as many villains as possible?" he challenged sardonically. His young eyes filled more with something similar to malice as he spoke. She shivered, his words chilling her.

"No! I want people to learn to treat quirkless as they would any other person! I want there be more options for those who are quirkless! I want the world to be kinder to those with the society deemed 'lesser' quirks! I want to defeat villains without violating my own ethics! I don't want to trespass onto other people's personal space or hurt them! It would be so much easier to, I agree, but how can you trust anyone if you do? How can a hero call themselves a hero if they do as the villains do for results?!"

"Because sometimes there is no other way, Hoshino! In order to leave a peaceful world you have to _make_ it be peaceful!"

"Is it truly peace if people feel forced to make those decisions?!" she screeched, the restraints cutting further into her skin. Shoto hissed, growing tense at the sight of more blood dripping down her arms.

"Please lay down..." he begged. The room was thickening with the rage she was projecting, growing deep in tension. Her adrenaline blocked off the pain on her wrists as it flew through her rapidly.

"Listen to your friend, Hoshino. You are going to hurt yourself!"

"Let it happen! I don't care!"

"Then you can remain there even longer!" he said sharply. He picked up his tablet. "I need to check on your friend Bakugo. I'll be back to take your blood. _Please_ don't hurt yourself. You may not believe that I care about what happens to you but I do. When I finish, I fully intend to return you to your families – after I blast you with a gas that makes you forget what you've heard here. I want you safe."

"Have you tested the side effects...!" but the words fell on deaf ears. The door slammed shut before he could finish. "Asshole." Kairi let her body relax under the restraints, eyes staring at the bright ceiling above her. Wrists began to throb as she became aware of the small cuts the restraints put into them. She winced.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, voice leveling. She turned her neck to get a look at him laying still on his table. "I realize my words were chosen poorly. I started to panic, a little. Seeing the way the straps were cutting into you."

"These aren't straps," she snickered. "Straps would be kind." Her head rolled around, taking in the environment of the room they were in. Nothing immediately jumped out to her. There seemed to be nothing of use in the room. It did look like a creepy autopsy room as he had said. She groaned and stared at her feet, wriggling them against the bar that kept them still.

"I suppose there doesn't seem to be anything we could use?" she asked. Shoto shook his head.

"At least we know he has no desire to kill us."

"That would be better. I don't _want_ anyone out there with my quirk. I'm not a perfect person by any means. But I don't have evil intentions and I know there are many people out there who are... less good than I am. Were they to have this quirk and misuse it even once, one time... I would _never_ forgive myself. I may not have been the one to do it, but I would feel responsible. I can never let anyone else have this quirk. Ever. I'm fond of children, but I can never have them, for that reason. I don't want to pass it down. I don't want anyone else to suffer with it."

A gentle breath could be heard from Shoto as he rolled his head to carefully study her. Her face flared with heat while his enchanting eyes shifted pensively.

"I don't think it's as big of a deal as you make it seem."

"What are you talking about? You have no idea the guilt I suffer, how much I hate myself for everything my emotions do. It makes me sick! You don't get to decide that it isn't a big deal, you don't get to invalidate-"

"Kairi, no, no no no, you're right that isn't... I know. I know it's hard for you. On top of it, I know in general you deal with mental illness on top of it all. I know it's rough for you and no one can tell you what to feel. Ever. No one can tell you how bad it is, no one can tell you how to react... I just mean you seem to think no one can stand being around you. You seem to think no one wants to be around you, that you're vile and that you're some monster and none of that is... true. It's all wrong. Yes, sometimes you change the mood in the room and people can be prone to react certain ways. But as you said – it doesn't change a person's true beliefs. People still are the way they are. They are responsible for their own actions, not you. They can still control how they react, they can teach themselves to fight against their own reactions. If someone were to have your quirk and use it to manipulate or take advantage or others... that is on them. They are fully responsible and you are _not_. The evil is on them. You make your quirk what it is, and they make their own quirk. It's yours, and no one else's." Similar words echoes in her mind, ones he had told her so long ago. He still believed that. Even after seeing her ugly side. Even after all this time, when he had fully gotten to know her. Even when they were best friends. He wasn't afraid to call her out or criticize her when he felt she was wrong, and yet here he was... not criticizing her. And not blaming her for the consequences of her quirk. God, that fluttering in her just would not stop.

"Is it wrong of him to take our quirks without permission?" he continued, firmly holding her gaze as tears streaked down her prominent cheeks. "Of course it is, and we are not going to get out of here without giving some sort of fight. But even if he did. Even if there is someone out there with the same quirk as you... that doesn't make you responsible for their actions. Only they are. As far as how you personally affect others... yeah I got angry just now, when you were angry. I could have controlled my tone. It was completely in my power, but I didn't. And it isn't just your anger. I'm concerned for us, Kairi. I am worried for you, about you getting out of here. I have my own emotions that affect me as well. I can feel what you feel, strongly. I try not to because it feels like an invasion of privacy, but that doesn't mean I can't learn to ignore it. Sometimes it's harder than others but I have... been around you enough to learn when to... deflect them, I guess is the best way to put it."

The tears were falling freely. Her throat shuddered under the cries she couldn't stop. He creased his brow and winced, unable to look at her while she cried.

"I'm so sorry, Shoto! I never should have done this! I should have let it go and now we're in danger of making everything worse."

"I wanted to come," he explained calmly. "I needed to make sure you were all right. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"What is with you?" she said, trying to blink away each threatening tear. "Why do you keep saying these things? Is it because you think I'm weak? Is it because you don't think I can handle it?"

"Of course not," he spat, as if the accusation were vile. "You take on so much, much more than an average person could handle. I think you are far stronger than you think you are but you think it's your duty to bear it all – to the point where you bear even more than even _you_ could handle. It crushes you but you don't say a word and you just keep on smiling. I'm afraid one of these days you will be completely crushed but your regard for others will keep you from saying, and you'll be injured more. I wanted to come with to help bear that, and make sure you weren't taking on too much. You have no idea how much I admire your strength, your passion to make wrongs right, your drive, your intellect, your compassion... You are... so wonderful, Kairi. And you have no idea. I wish you did, I really do. The world has been cruel to you for things you can't help and you just learned to smile through. You never should have had to, but you do it anyway. You never deserved their treatment. Sometimes I... I really think you're t... too good for this... wo-world." His words stuttered while he spoke, a hot flame of red coming over his face. Kairi reflected him, bearing the same crimson visage and she quickly flipping her head the other way.

"Why are you saying these things? What are you saying?"

"The truth," he whispered. "We're getting out here, Riri." Her chest was humming wildly, the vibrato of her heart coursing through her veins aggressively. Her limbs shook with the thrumming inside her. Fireworks burst in every joint and if she were not held down, she could probably fly. Then, Shoto gasped.

"Kairi. Funnel," he said. The strangeness suppressed all her wild emotion and she snapped back to look at him.

"Is this the time to be making jokes?" she questioned, just as footsteps could be heard beyond the white door that faced them.

"No, I mean you have to...!" But he was cut off at the squeak of the door, as their "doctor" stepped back in. He whistled softly to himself, carrying a white latch box.

"What would make you feel comfortable, Hoshino? For you to go first or Todoroki? I'll do what you prefer."

"I would prefer _not_," she hissed, looking around the room. Shoto's odd in-joke made her notice – there was no bathroom in the room. What did he plan to do if they had had to go? Just let them go? Based on how he acted and if he were a real doctor, that didn't seem to be in line with his attitude. With a look back over at Shoto who almost seemed to know her own thoughts, she cleared her throat.

"Could I... use the bathroom first?" she asked quietly, trying to sound as sheepish as possible.

"I... yes, I apologize I never thought that through... I don't intend to keep you much longer once I finish this. Is it possible you could wait a half hour?" Kairi's stomach dropped and she turned to bite her lip. Her eyes asked Shoto for an answer. He shook his head. Kairi breathed, mulling over a response in her mind. Then, she settled on one and blurted loudly.

"Sure, of course. If you want me to bleed all over everything." He cleared his throat again.

"I'm... sorry," he said just as Shoto was shaking his head and Kairi was wincing back at him.

"Too much?" she mouthed. He only shrugged.

"No need to be disturbed by it, Todoroki. It's a perfectly natural thing," Kurisu said calmly as he reached her table.

"Yes, that's not why I was..." Shoto mumbled. "Never mind."

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't let you be embarrassed like that. I... Most of those on duty are currently dispatched elsewhere... I know... I think I have those handcuffs here."

"Excuse me?!" Kairi squeaked. "You expect me to believe this is a medical building and you have _handcuffs_? Unless you're using them for... know what? Never mind. Not even going to finish that thought." Shoto reddened and turned his face away to hide his embarrassment, while Kurisu ventured back over to the corner and opened a cabinet. He hummed quietly to himself, jostling through various items of equipment. Metal rustled just as he closed the cabinet door and he pulled with looked like a pair of handcuffs, with a long chain. Kairi gulped. There was no way this guy was _just_ a doctor.

"Okay, give me your hands, Kairi."

"I _said_ don't use her name!" Shoto yelled, spitting through his teeth. She tossed him a grateful look, heart endeared. She swallowed and lay still as he first unclasped each cuff around her wrist, just above the metal clasps on the table. Once secured, he worked to unlock the restraints and she found she could move, freer than before. Slowly, Kairi raised her head til she was sitting. She swayed, blinking till her vision stopped spinning and the dizziness faded. Her back screamed, sore from the table but relieved to be upright. Following his direction, Kairi leapt off the table and held out her imprisoned hands to steady her balance.

In the center of her cuffs was a long chain, leading to where it was being held by Kurisu. Kairi glowered, and looked back up at the doctor.

"Am I on a leash right now?" she hissed.

"It's so you can so in the bathroom and shut the door with some privacy, but I can still feel on the other end that you're not escaping."

"'I want to make sure you're safe.' What part of this isn't kidnapping?"

"I am sorry this has to be done this why, Hoshino, I really am," he told her kindly. "You're a very good kid and I don't enjoy this. But for the good of humanity."

"Oh, piss off and just let me pee already!" she snarled, tugging on the cuffs. He sighed.

"Do you need supplies-?"

"NO TOILET PAPER WILL WORK JUST FINE!" she chomped at him and slovenly walked beside the doctor. She wobbled in her steps, walking feeling strange. The room seemed disconnected from her and false, like being underwater. He pushed the door open and allowed her to walk ahead of him. She sputtered and stomped out into the bright hallway, one light ahead buzzing obnoxiously. Her eyes flicked over the privacy windows in the passing doors, seeing only blurry glass. A part of her was hoping she could spot something that seemed like it could be Bakugo – but there was nothing.

Kairi was not strong. Physical tactics was not her strong suit, but he seemed to deflect her emotions. For whatever reason, it didn't affect him. She had nothing – but she had her quick reflexes.

Taking time to just act and not think, Kairi clasped her hands together first and then whipped herself as hard as she could so he stumbled and slammed himself into the wall. Before he could regain his stance, she threw her whole body against him. A snap echoed and he gasped painfully. Kairi slammed her foot against the back of his knee. Crunch, crackle. A pained anguish sang through the halls from the doctor. Her anger was flaring through her so wildly, it motivated the strength of her jump – and she had broken him at his knee.

"You're a doctor – you know that's not fatal and should be able to fix that, right?" she yelled. She ripped the end of the metal "leash" on her cuffs away from his hands. For a moment, her amber eyes stared into his charming, young ones. Her chest ripped just for a moment. They pleaded, looking betrayed. Her soul paused, guilt falling into place. She wanted to reach for him, and help. But he had taken them. He had essentially kidnapped them and wanted to utilize their DNA against their will. She was hurting him, yes – but it was to get away. Nothing more. She hadn't done anything fatal, and it could all easily be fixed. She blinked away the grieving tears that came to her. There was no time. He would get the treatment he needed later. Right now – she needed to save Shoto and Bakugo.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But that was really the oldest trick in the book." Feet clapped against the polished floor, heading back down the hall to where she had just come out. The cuffs made it a struggle, but after four tries, her hands successfully unlashed the L of the handle. The door flew open and she ran back in, leaning over Shoto's table and fumbling awkwardly with the clasps.

"We only have a few minutes I'm sure," she said, twiddling with a screw with her thumb. "Goddamn my tiny fingers!"

"You are amazing," Shoto breathed. The two of them paused for a moment, eyes settling on each other. Pink rose to both sets of cheeks. Kairi was the first to drop her gaze and continue with the clasps, working desperately at them.

Two minutes later, Shoto was free and the two of them were speeding down the hall.


	51. QuirKey Unlocked

"What happened to Kurisu?!" Shoto shouted as they hurried down the hall, the opposite direction she had just come from.

"He'll be fine!" she called, tripping over the thundering in her chest. "I... had to break a couple of bones to stop him but it's nothing that he won't easily heal from! God, I can't believe I fucking hurt someone... and you know, I truly think he wasn't going to hurt us and didn't want to?! And then I just... to think I have the power to..." More of those pesky tears blurred her vision. She raised her still restrained wrists to wipe at her eyes, having to leap over the length of the links and slowing her pace. Shoto slowed, concerned about how she was struggling to keep up when she was usually just slightly faster than him.

"You did what you had to do to get out of their alive and save me. You made sure to only hurt him just enough to get away, but not enough that it would permanently damage him. That's exactly what you need to do. If it can be avoided, don't harm anyone. If harm is necessary, do the minimum necessary. And even that sometimes is hard to do. You did exactly what you needed to do, what a hero needs to do Kairi! I'm proud of you, and I'm certain your dad is too!" The words pumped through her, releasing another wave of heat across her face. She smiled lightly, but shook her head, skidding around the corner.

"No... he wouldn't... not after I'm the reason we're in this mess..." she whispered quietly. Her speeding foot caught the end of one of the links and she stumbled. Shoulder fell first, smashing against the cool wall. Kairi coughed as the jolt shot through her, and then followed it with a hiss. Shoto didn't hesitate in stopping. Warmth licked her wrists when he turned them over in his hands, her spirit dancing at the feel of his touch. When a thumb grazed over the small wound left by the clamps, more pain spiked in her arm and sense ripped her hands away from him.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I need you to trust me, okay? I... can't completely remove the cuffs without seriously hurting you... but I can remove the chain so you can move a little freer." She met with his eyes. It was ridiculous of him to suggest she wouldn't trust him. He could drop her from the top of Mount Fiji and she would remain completely calm, trusting his decision. A dangerous decision, she knew, to allow any man to have such an influence over her... but she knew Shoto would never do anything that would put her in danger. Feeling completely calmed by his presence and words, she nodded and held out her chained wrists.

Shoto placed his left hand over the center of the cuffs, where the long length of chain met with the center of the cuffs. Concentrating, a glow appeared under his hand. Kairi turned her fingers away, sweat forming on her skin from the heated breeze that radiated from the space between her hands. A small ember licked at the chain, just under his palm. He held it for a moment, staring at the cuffs vilely. In moments, the metal grew to deep red, becoming white in seconds after. Shoto removed his hand, revealing the crux of the chains to be a perfect white.

"Do _not_ move," he warned slowly. She nodded and didn't draw a breath. She didn't pull her hands away and stood, still as she could make herself.

Shoto spun quickly, slamming a heavily booted foot against the white hot center. Effortlessly, the chain clattered against the floor. The cuffs fell apart and the long trail of links fell to the floor. Before she could make a move, Shoto held the remaining links swaying from her in his right hand, wincing for just a moment before steam poured from the creases in his hands. Quickly, he dropped the ends. As they fell against her wrists once more, she chilled at their coolness. He had quickly thought to zap them with a little bit of ice so their fragments would not burn her. Her cheeks colored once more as she turned her eyes.

"Thanks," she whispered, scuffling a foot against the floor.

"Let's get out of here," he said. His hand shot back towards her and linked with her fingers. Urgency pulled him along and guided Kairi's rushing feet, but her attention was on the feel of his palm pressed against hers. He was only trying to assure they didn't get separated and moved at the same pace. That was all. Of course there was no other meaning behind the clasp of their hands. It didn't change how wildly her heart moved and how her blood sang victoriously at the feel of his simple gesture. As serious as their situation was, a smile broke.

Then an enraged cried shook the corridor they were in. Shoto skidded to stop, causing Kairi to collapse against him.

"Sorry," he apologized quickly.

"That was Bakugo!" she said, turning her head. The cry echoed again. She bounded towards it, still holding onto Shoto tightly. "It came from this corner!" The two of them pounded down around the corner. Shoto used his ice talents to shoot a spike through the windowed doors. The glass fell away and allowed them to peer into an empty room, full of supplies. Shoto swore and moved down to the next door. More glass shattered as thick ice spikes whipped through the window. A smaller room, with several abandoned computers. The next room revealed itself to be some lab with various beakers and cylinders. Kairi cringed.

"Wonder if this is where they create those gases they seem to be so fond of?" she snarled. Shoto shrugged. The next two rooms had no window – but their signs clearly indicated their usage. Bathrooms, one for those who identified as women, and one for those who identified as men. Shoto smirked and held up the door to the women's restroom.

"Still need to use it?" he teased. She groaned and slapped her face with her free hand.

"You're ridiculous..." she moaned. A smile found her. "Clearly, I have no need of such facilities. I only use funnels now."

He released a loud, boisterous cackle before letting the door fall shut and running towards a much louder cry. He broke the window of the next door – and there was Bakugo, strapped to a table like the ones they were attached to. The clatter of glass caused him to arch his neck. Anger reddened his face at the sight of his rescuers.

"Where the hell have you been?!" he screamed, his hair as wild as his attitude. "Took your damn time getting to me, didn't you?" Shoto reached his arm around, mindful of the jagged pieces surrounding the window frame. Unlocking the door, he pushed the door open. The two of them instinctively split their hand hold and ran to either side of the table Bakugo was strapped to.

"Stop thrashing you're only making it worse, you idiot!" Kairi screamed, noting how he already had blood laced around his wrists – just like her. She blinked her wide eyes, trying not to focus on the possibility she and Bakugo _might_ have some similarities.

"You're the ones who told me to come to this place!" he bellowed as the two worked the locks on the clamps. Kairi finished first and he flung one hand free. She moved round the table to where his feet where and began to pull at the straps holding down the metal bar. "Did you see that bastard who called himself a doctor? He was asking me for my damn quirk! Ha! As if I would give that away so easily..."

"Yeah, he's trying to 'cure' the quirkless by giving them quirks. And he sees nothing wrong with taking them from others without their consent," Kairi explained.

"That's fucking diabolical," Bakugo hissed, sitting up once his other arm was free. He swayed as Shoto helped Kairi with the metal bar.

"Take a moment to get your balance," Shoto said. "We have to get out of here and soon."

"I know, I know!" Bakugo barked, slowly swinging his legs off the table. "How do we get out of this damn place?!"

"We're working on that!" Kairi spun around, seeking anything in the room that might give them some sort of the clue. But the simple cabinets that and tray of surgical tools was much too similar to their previous room, and that lent them nothing. "We'll just have to keep on running til we find something."

"Is this supposed to be some twisted hospital?!" Bakugo said, cringing angrily at the sights around him.

"He claimed to want to try to help people here but this seems more like torture facility that's been thoroughly sterilized," Shoto observed. "It wouldn't surprise me if illegal operations are performed here."

They turned at the sound of a heavy rush of footfalls coming down their path. Kairi reached back for Shoto's hand again, pulling him along. Bakugo remained close behind, running back down the hall they just came from and past the turn off they had just been down. Bakugo bringing up the rear, he caught a small glimpse down the hall they passed – seeing a group of intimidating characters running right towards them.

"Hey, we got company after us!" he screamed. "They know where we are now!" Shoto broke away from Kairi and allowed Bakugo to run past him. He paused and raised his arm. Ice flourished out from his palm and expanding into a high wall, sealing off the hallway.

But the wall only remained still for a moment. Whoever had been chasing them, their shadows appeared beyond the length of ice before them. Mutters and grumbles could be heard indistinctively and then... a hiss. A sizzle. The ice in the center was thinning rapidly, growing clearer in its translucency. Strange foaming bubbles appeared, small at first. Then the bubbles grew while the hissing grew louder.

"What are we doing standing here?!" Bakugo shouted. "If you want to stare at bubbles, go fill your bathtub with soap! Let's get out of here!"

"That's probably a good idea!" Kairi shouted. She awkwardly scrambled up the steps, Shoto gesturing for her to go in front of him, Bakugo taking the lead. The three of them hurried up the stairs, reaching the top just as the ice could be heard shattering and boots clamored against the ground. They hurried into a wide hall that was brightly lit, but the floor was that dull grey carpet. This stretch of hallway held more doors, but they had smaller windows and looked much more like generic classroom doors.

"Kids... calm down! We just want to have a conversation!" came a gentler voice. It sounded low and young. And familiar. Like that man who was that the desk, maybe... Tsushima, was that his name?

"We're past having a conversation!" The voice was angry, but much higher than the first. "You saw what they did Arinori! These kids aren't harmless!"

"You really think they would see all that equipment and not assume they're about to be murdered?!" shouted a voice that sounded a little more feminine from behind them. "If he didn't get a chance to explain to them... I would probably break his leg too!"

"They're going to ruin everything we've established here!" growled the second man. Literally growled, almost as if it was... the lion man? "Arinori's been working for years to establish this! His life's work!" Try as she might, she couldn't prevent the tinge of the tug the words left. But his life's work had to be dangerous – therefore it shouldn't matter they were upsetting everything they tried to establish. It was evil, she was convinced, and needed to be toppled. Hands flew in front of her face, pushing away the trace of emotion she was feeling. God, why was she feeling so remorseful for something so... atrocious? When he clearly had no care about other people's agency and their own input.

"Stop!" shouted another familiar voice, as a uniformed woman slid in from the corner hallway. That security guard held a stick in one hand above her head. She had other items about her waist, far more dangerous. But she made no move to grab any of them. Likely, she had no desire to face any of them against children.

"My turn, losers!" Bakugo cackled. He shook his arm, flecks of sweat flying onto the ground and aimed a single finger at the spot he had just drenched. Shoto grabbed Kairi just before he blasted fire into the ground. The air blackened with smoke, creating a perfect cover for Bakugo to jump down first. Shoto slipped in through the hole and rolled onto the linoleum floor below them. Coughing from the wafting smoke, Kairi leapt from the unsteady edge and didn't pause before launching herself after them. Shoto clasped his arms around her just before she hit the ground, coughing on the trail of smoke she pulled with her.

"You okay?" he asked. She nodded, ignoring the flourish on her face.

"Wait a second, I got something for this..." came from overhead. They heard a whistling sound from up above. The drifting blackness in the air quickly sped away and the hole cleared, showing the faces of the lion-man, Tsushima, a middle-aged woman with clawed hands, and the female cop security guard. All except the woman with the claws, seeming to be wearing some sort of high tech mouth mask around their necks.

"Usagi, put them out," said the lion. The clawed woman nodded and patted at the pockets around her wide coat.

"What?!" Kairi said.

"Don't worry, I can take them!" Bakugo laughed. "Get out of here, you nerds! I got them!"

"We're not just going to leave you to take care of them alone, are you nuts?!" Kairi hissed. They watched the Usagi woman up above as she pulled clenched fists from her pockets and threw some particles into her mouth. She swallowed and puffed her cheeks. Tsushima leapt through the damaged hole and rolled into the debris. Bakugo held up an arm, gleaming with a sheen of sweat.

"Don't come any closer, old man!" he warned.

"I'm in my thirties..." scoffed Tsushima. "Listen we're just..."

"Yeah, yeah!" Shoto stood back, holding an arm to keep Kairi at back. Her eyes wandered around their surroundings. It was just an empty hallway with a stretch of doors but there was a sturdy looking pipe hanging overhead...

The lion tumbled through the hole, Usagi holding onto his back. She looked... pale. Almost grey, and her eyes were not present. The officer jumped down to join them. Curiously, they all put up their masks that hung around their necks.

"Ugh... I hate this part..." she said. She slid off the lion's back and then fell to her knees. A vile, rasping sound emitted from her mouth as she retched. However, what she emitted was not what one would expect someone to throw up. A strange, shimmering blue mist seeped out of her mouth. It drifted almost gracefully in front of them, hitting Bakugo first. His shoulders fell and only the smallest of sparks left his hands. Eyes shut just before he swayed and them slumped onto the floor.

"Bakugo!" Kairi screamed, drawing her eyes back to him. Shoto walked backwards, avoiding the strange blue mist that was spiraling their way.

"He's just asleep..." Tsushima explained dully while Usagi struggled to find her footing again. "It doesn't hurt, I promise. We're just looking to sedate you a little."

"Yeah, I don't have faith you won't hurt us later!" Kairi screeched, looking back up at the pipe weaving overhead and seeing it disappear. She couldn't do much... but she could get herself out of harm's way enough to think...

Shoto drew his hand again, wanting to use the ice to shield them off but then he looked over at Bakugo, noticing he would then be cut off from them. He switched arms, ready to use the fire –

"You'll hit Bakugo!" she said. The mist was inching closer. It might have been from the exertion, but her muscles were becoming weak. Shoto's steps were slower. It was funny, the mist seemed too dense to float much higher than their heads... Kairi reached behind her head, pulling at the fabric of her hoodie as much as she could. With a little force, the hood tore away from her sweatshirt and she passed it over to Shoto, it's little panda ears flopping around sadly. He questioned her with her eyes. Annoyance prevented her from answering and she simply shoved the fabric against his nose and mouth.

"Crouch!" she shouted. He nodded, holding the fabric against his face and lowered his body. Kairi stepped her foot against his back and used the leverage to push up. She threw herself up, launching herself just high enough that she caught three fingers on the edge of the pipe. Her body tensed, and panic tried to become her companion. Her mind screamed to her the importance of this situation, and how she needed to save her classmates. It pumped against her, a mantra. She needed to do this. She needed to save them. She was a rescuer. She needed to rescue.

It was enough for her to find the will. Kairi centered herself and breathed, swinging her limbs around. With effort, she clasped her arms and legs around the pipe, dangling overhead.

_Okay... I need something. I need an emotion to stall them. That woman is already feeling sick, if I just made everyone else feel sick... _ Her mind continued, planning out what she could. She had no scent tubes to rely on and instead was forced to conjure up her own plan for illness. Burnt toast, she thought about that smelled. And how she felt so bad about it, she still tried to eat it with some peanut butter. The sensation it caused, churning in her gut. They paused and looked off, but it wasn't enough. She sputtered, and closed her eyes. She remembered how she felt just after she revived Shoto again, how much she wanted to throw up. Her stomach knotted and challenged her esophagus, daring it to go against her. Her body had grown so weak then, emotions so heavy she could no longer keep herself composed. Every organ in her wanted to give up and splay itself out for all to see. Her nose wrinkled, feeling that same guilt again. It was still fresh, even though it had been months by this point. The lion man had to steady himself against the wall. The security guard was walking in a rather wonky direction. Usagi had completely succumbed to collapsing against the wall. Tsushima fell to his knees and breathed deeply, waiting for any sensation to pass. Kairi breathed deeply, assessing the scene before her. That mist still waited, but it wasn't touching the ceiling. If she positioned herself right over Bakugo, she could drop onto him, grab a hold of him, and sweep him out of there just in time for Shoto to grab him and help put him away. It was risky, and she would have to force herself to move at her highest speed. Like when she pulled Shoto from that creak.

Kairi pulled herself along the pipe. For now, the mist seemed to be slowing – it seemed there was a limit to how far that quirk could go. Kairi continued to scale, pulling herself on the length. There, just above Bakugo. The girl shut her eyes... and then released all her limbs. Fingers were already reached out when she plopped onto Bakugo's back.

She took in a deep breath and held it before she snatched the cloth on Bakugo's shirt. GOD, he was so heavy! The kid needed to stop building so much muscle. Adrenaline fueling her minor strength, Kairi pulled him aside, dragging the sleepy kid out of the mist. Seeing their captors were still trying to recover from the spontaneous sickness, he leapt to her side. Shoto pulled Bakugo up from under his arm, Kairi grabbing his other arm. Though their run was slow, they found they were able to keep a pace together, and slowly ran around the corner once again. A door awaited them and to their surprise it opened... right into the lobby.

"Hurry, we're almost there!" Shoto called, pushing his feet to move faster as the two of them dragged Bakugo.

"Then we have to find a way out of here!" Kairi reminded with a shout. Her words were almost cut off by the scratching and bang of doors opening wide. Several familiar characters greeted them, as they burst through the entry. "Izuku!"

The boy flew into the room, barely stopping into wave as he plowed through the room, Momo just behind him and Tsu as well. Shoto grinned along with her, until more familiar faces turned up – Aizawa - Eraserhead, taking a quick moment to glare at them, and the vibrant beacon of flames himself, Endeavor – Enji Todoroki. Shoto's face turned the same color of the bland walls around them.

Knowing they would have it figured out, and they had a sleepy Bakugo to get out of harm's way, they ran as much as they could out the front entrance. Its doors were barely hanging on the hinges, thanks to the impact of whatever it was Midoriya likely did to it. Outside, glows of red and blue flitted anxiously in front of them. Kairi winced at the obnoxious lights trailing over them, highlighting the four police cars and two civilians vehicles that awaited just before them. In the back, there was a larger vehicle, three people dressed in white standing around it. Kairi's spirit flipped worriedly. An ambulance too. They really fucking did it this time. _She_ did it this time.


	52. Todoroki vs Hoshino (Reprise)

"That's my daughter!" echoed a desperate voice from over the waiting police officers, stances firm and weapons held high. Two officers stepped aside for Naoko Hoshino to shove his way through, taking wide leaps through his narrow path.

"Dad?" Kairi gulped, voice catching in the quickness of her heart. Her body stiffened when he caught her in a restricting embrace. Worries shook from him as he locked his grip on her.

"Your friend Momo, she called the station and said she was worried that if your hunch was right, something bad might happened to you..." He explained between desperate breaths, a sign that he had become incredibly emotional. "Are you okay? My god, Riri, you look...!" He drew back and looked at her. Face and clothes covered in dirt, and hair rustled. His fingers fell to her face, assessing her features for any sign of damage. Two of the paramedics immediately ran over to them, first taking Bakugo from between them. They looped his arms around their own necks and walked him cautiously towards the ambulance. Kairi shook away the imprint of the weight he had left, secretly wishing he was still hanging onto her so she would have a reason to ignore her father's hug.

"I'm fine, really. Mostly small scrapes and bruises from running around."

"We... really should make sure that gas didn't do any damage to our systems though," Shoto stated plainly, nodding in the direction of the ambulance. Mr. Hoshino whipped around to give Shoto a horrified look.

"Gas?!" he asked. "What... did they do to you?" The ground shook. An effect from whatever was happening inside.

"Just sleeping gas..." Kairi dismissed, but the shaking in her spirit and the tidal wave of relief and terror gave away how she really felt about the situation. "We're... okay, I think."

"Maybe that's the case, but I want you to go to the hospital and be kept overnight for observation." Her stomach blipped, growing nauseous at the thought of a night in that place. The smell was already rising in her memory and making her want to puke.

"No..." she started softly, but her father didn't seem to hear her, and looked over at Shoto, dropping his hands from Kairi's face.

"You too, young man. I am going to strongly recommend to your father that you be held for observation!" he said. Shoto remained quietly and looked down at Kairi's hands at her sides. The broken chains swayed around her wrists.

"Kairi, I think you should at least visit the ambulance," he said lowly, making sure she noticed the drop of his eyes to her wrists. Kairi swallowed and tucked her hands behind her back quickly, but not before Hoshino had spotted the cuffs.

"What is...?" he began. He reached around Kairi and snatched a hold of her arm, seeing the reddened mark at her wrist, and the droplets of blood from the small cuts. "Kairi! My god... Are these handcuffs?"

"Of all people, I would think you would know handcuffs when you see them," Kairi said lowly. She tore her wrist away from his grasp, rubbing the soreness he disturbed.

"It was rhetorical," he snapped impatiently. "Obviously, you knew that. I'm just... I don't... they had you _handcuffed_?!"

"Clearly, you can see that," Kairi mumbled, eyes looking back at the ground. The sickly whine and clatter of the broken doors interrupted their conversation. Endeavor and Eraserhead emerged from the doors, holding the "doctors" and security guard by their sides in cuffs. Momo, Tsu, and Izuku followed close behind, the lights from inside the building creating a dramatic glow around them as they left the building. Kurisu shamefully watched his shuffling feet as two cops ran out to grab him the arms, carefully lowering him into one of the squad cars. Mr., Hoshino snarled at the sight of him.

"That's him?" he asked gruffly. Shoto nodded. Naoko Hoshino narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze.

"Stop!" Kairi barked, roughly shoving a hand against her father's shoulder. "You're reading his mind, aren't you? Dad, you're on duty! You're not supposed to do that unless you have a warrant to do so or are facing a matter of life or death!"

"How are they going to know if I did it right now?" he challenged with a dark smirk. "Kairi, they _kidnapped_ you and your friend! You think I'm going to let that stop me when it comes to my daughter?!"

"What about personal ethics?" Kairi reminded adamantly, determination staring him down. "'Allowing your personal ethics and morals to bend for one moment in selfishness is enough to break the road of integrity'. Do you remember that?" Her accusing tone flared, as she eyed her father with accurate judgement. He dropped his eyes from Kurisu's squad car, breathing deeply.

"No shortcuts," he added with recollection. "Which... while we are talking about shortcuts... What the _hell_ were you thinking, Kairi?" Fear for her safety having disappeared, the stern disappointment shone through him. Kairi dropped into herself, growing small under his voice. "I barely get back to the precinct, so proud of the work you and your class put into your project – something I was proud to be sharing with my colleagues! Next thing I know, I'm receiving a message from Momo and she informs you and Shoto are breaking into QuirKey?! Are you aware breaking and entering is against the _law_?! _Goddamn it_, Kairi, you knew that when you were _six_! Did you put her up to this?" His eyes darkened again and he shifted quickly to Shoto's direction.

"N-no! This wasn't him, I promise!" Kairi immediately screamed, waving her arms frantically to pull back her father's attention. "This was all me! Completely me!"

"Kairi, no, clearly if I was there it was me too-" Shoto interjected.

"Yeah, fuck that, it was me-"

"Mr. Hoshino, ignore her, I assure you-"

"No, shut up, Shoto, I'm-"

"_ENOUGH_!" Eraserhead growled, ceasing their arguing immediately. He raised his slotted goggles to his forehead while he approached. From behind him, their friends and classmates waited at a safe distance. Endeavor helped the man with the lion head, the last of the QuirKey staff members, into the police vehicle before slamming its door. The entire time, Endeavor's eyes were boring into Shoto, asking about a million heated questions. Shoto turned away, acting as if he hadn't even seen his father. "Mr. Hoshino, I would advise this discussion be saved for once they have received the proper treatment. Principal Nezu and I will figure out how to address this situation as it affects the school. First and foremost comes their health, and I would advise you get them to the hospital right away." He looked up to the ambulance, where Bakugo was lying on a stretcher, lines drawing out of his arm. They didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, however. An indication they had figured out he was just sleeping and in no immediate danger.

Mr. Hoshino nodded solemnly, agreeing. "Kairi, do you feel you are in need of immediate medical attention, or are you okay with me driving you to the hospital?"

"No, it's okay you can drive me..." she whispered.

"Shoto!" Endeavor called from where he stood beside the car. He threw his thumb to the area behind him. "Let's get you to the hospital right now!" In a strange twist of irony, Kairi could almost feel Shoto's own emotion. His shoulders tightened as he grew ridged, ignoring his father's remark.

"I apologize if I am imposing, Sir," he began, facing her father. "Would it be too much trouble for me to ride along with you? Since you're already heading there..."

"Your father is going to need to go to the hospital anyway to fill out the papers. I'm sure he wants to talk to you," Hoshino said.

"Dad?" Kairi said, and raised her hand to tap against the middle of her forehead – a sign they used in public when she wanted him to read her mind in order to avoid being overheard. _Endeavor isn't the best example of a father, and Shoto does not want to be alone in the car with him. Especially when he knows his father is not happy_. Mr. Hoshino's eyes bugged, but he sighed with exasperation – as if he already had some idea.

"All right... jump in the vehicle. Give me a minute then..." Kairi pulled against Shoto's shirt, leading him towards the particular vehicle she knew was her father's based on its unique identifying number. She opened the back door and slid on in, Shoto following after. The door shut, Kairi slumped in her seat, lowering her head.

"Drop your head," she said.

"Why?" Shoto asked. She nodded towards him.

"All of Japan knows who you are and can recognize you instantly. Do you really want to be seen riding in the back of a police vehicle?" Shoto paled and dropped himself just of view. Through the sheen of the red and blue lights, Hoshino approached Endeavor and spoke in front of him with his hands. Compared to Enji's muscular and intimidating form, pronounced by the flickers of flames across his face and body, Mr. Hoshino looked as if he were a small child. He was only about average height and police training had given him a rougher look, but he was no comparison to the number one hero. Endeavor nodded, but didn't appear too pleased. Crossed arms, and then a glare at the vehicle explained everything they needed to know, before Endeavor stalked off towards one of the civilians vehicles. Hoshino jogged back to his car and slid into the driver's seat.

"Where's Rena?" Kairi asked, looking at the empty passenger seat.

"Oh... I left a little too quickly," he chuckled nervously. "I was a bit upset."

"So much for never leave your partner behind," Kairi laughed. "She's not going to like that you drove."

"I scratched it one time..." he mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

"What did you tell my father?" Shoto asked.

"I told him that Kairi got a little more injured than you did, and you wanted to ride with her to keep an eye on her. He didn't look too happy, but also didn't say much."

"That's not really a lie..." Shoto said. Kairi's chest pattered. She coughed to cover up the sensation. He flipped his eyes back, bearing down on her.

"Are you okay?"

"Dad! I'm fine," she said. He stared for a long moment, before letting out his breath and pushing the shifter against the console. He looked past them, out the window before slowly backing up. As they sped away from the lab, Kairi covered her face with her hands, waiting for the sobbing to start.

"You did not break in. They let you in?" Mr. Hoshino clarified for a third time as he sat before both Kairi and Shoto lying in their hospital beds. Just as they had said, they weren't able to find anything wrong with them. But considering the sleeping gas they had inhaled was of yet unknown substance, they were strongly advised to be held for observation and testing, in case there happened to dangerous chemicals in whatever they were giving. The surroundings of the hospital already left her feeling restricted and sick, so Kairi was a strong advocate for allowing Shoto to share a room with her. Endeavor was against it, and said as much. There was no argument from Mr. Hoshino, and Shoto practically pleaded with his father to sign off on it. With an eyeroll, he agreed to it and they were led to their room.

It was still a daunting task, to be stuck in a hospital room knowing she was going to have to stare at the lights and smell that awful sterile stench. However, Shoto's being there was a comfort, even if she also felt guilty for being the reason for it. They mirrored IVs leading to monitor carts as Mr. Hoshino sat on a stool before them, listing off all the pieces of information they gave through their matching stories. Enji Todoroki overtook his own small stool, his towering presence distracting Kairi as she kept looking over to his vile glare. Shoto seemed to be the only one who had learned to completely ignore him. Even Mr. Hoshino looked over from time to time.

"Yes, I spoke with the guard through the intercom and they let me him. You can ask for the security footage," Shoto said again.

"We spoke to them and I got a little aggravated. Made them a little mad," said Kairi.

"And you went through the door without their permission?" Mr. Hoshino clarified.

"Again, yes. That is the only thing we did that was essentially wrong," Shoto said.

"I'm not sure you can really prosecute that as a crime, can you?" Kairi asked suspiciously.

"People have sued for ridiculous things, but I don't think it's worth it and a judge would probably throw it out in court. So you ran and that was when you got hit with the gas?"

"Yeah," Kairi said, pressing against the bandages around her wrists. "At the point, the door locked behind us and we just... I just started to panic. That was when I began to think they had meant to do us harm and I was just trying to find a way out and defend us."

"You fell asleep, woke up chained to tables, and after that you were just trying to get out," Mr. Hoshino clarified. Kairi nodded.

"Does you being my dad make this an unofficial statement?" Mr. Hoshino shook his phone before them.

"I'm recording it, both in writing and audio form. We can use that. Of course, we're going to check the CCTV but if what you say is true..." He sounded relieved in his words. "You two committed no crime. After you woke up from being restrained to the tables, everything you did after that was because you thought you were going to be harmed. All in self-defense. There are laws to protect you in that case."

"However, what you did was incredibly stupid hero-wise!" Enji finally voiced, looking on the pair of them with boiling rage. "You do not go in without discussing a plan! You do not charge into a facility without knowing the layout and what you will face! You do not 'wing' things, unless it can't be helped! You should have alerted the Pro Heroes, you should have found your teacher! You really think this is a great image of hero? For God's sake, Shoto, it's all over the damn news! Think about what kind of image this brings to your family? And for what?"

"Kairi had a hunch," Shoto said plainly.

"And you believed her?"

"I admitted it seemed odd and I was too curious to not look into it. More than that, I knew if I didn't go Kairi would go in all alone." Mr. Hoshino nodded. "Because I didn't know what would happen, I had to go with her. I would- couldn't let her go alone."

"Shoto, sometimes, being a hero means putting your duty before your friends." Mr. Hoshino grimaced, giving Enji a hesitant look. Shoto crossed his arms.

"You have coworkers, Dad. You don't _have_ friends. How would you know?"

"Mr. Todoroki, I apologize, but I think that's situational," Hoshino said politely. "If the situation were to choose between Kairi and someone who was in immediate danger, your logic would be correct but considering there other option was to let her go off alone into danger, especially when they already found something questionable about the company... I would say your son made the right call." Kairi glowed.

"You should have let her go and told someone immediately, and then he could have gone with them to get her!"

"And if it had been something more dangerous than sleeping gas?" Naoko Hoshino was rising in his anger, setting his notes aside. "Are you serious right now? My daughter could be dead if that were the case!"

"Maybe your daughter isn't cut out to be a hero if she's going to act incompetent!"

"_Excuse me, sir, but how dare you call my daughter incompetent!_" Mr. Hoshino yelled just as Shoto said in a low voice "Don't you speak ill of Kairi." The tension in the room was caging Kairi, pushing her away from the scene and awkwardly dangling over.

"My son finds trouble wherever your daughter is," Enji said to Naoko. "Don't you find that curious? Before this, my son had no incidents."

"My daughter _saved_ your son this summer!" Mr. Hoshino yelled. The growing sound was stretching within Kairi, causing her to grow restless and irritate her skin. She wriggled as much as she could to disappear under the covers. "Do you hear yourself? What kind of Pro Hero are you, even? Have you any gratitude for who your son is? For all that he's done and his achievements?! Do you intend to push Shoto until he can no longer go anymore and hurts himself because of _your_ demands? How do you act around him at home?!"

"It's clear you haven't pushed your child enough! Look at how she weak she is, hiding under the blankets like that! You think a cop for a father would make her toughen up a little, but she's always been a terrified mouse, with no sense of direction or ability to make a heroic decision!"

"_Again_, she _saved_ your _son_!"

Kairi began to shudder under the covers, covering her ears while waves pushed her down. She wished for the bed to swallow her whole. Breathing deepened while anxiety crushed her. Shoto looked over to the bed on his right, seeing as she tried to vanish. He felt around the bed barricades til his fingers touched the red button. Repeatedly he pressed it, desperate for some attention.

"Your daughter is a bad influence!" Enji continued, the anxiety in the room building aggression. "If she hadn't been in his group, he wouldn't have made such a mistake that required him to be saved! I have been working exceedingly hard to train my son to grow into the greatest hero he can be! Obviously, I failed to account for a teenage boy's weakness when it comes hormones and teenage girls!" Kairi twisted in her covers, curling into a mental hiding place. She shook roughly, hoping to fight off the words that dug and caused her soul to bleed. Those words echoed, reminding her of things her mother said long ago. Useless, weak, terrified, a bad influence. Her mother's voice warbled as if underwater, spiraling through her senses. Kairi held her head, waiting for the screaming to stop. Her face flooded with tears, unable to leave any other way. And then he had to go and make that ridiculous remark! The one thing he was wrong about. Maybe her emotions were a distraction. Maybe she was a bad influence and that jeopardized his future. She would believe it. But there was no way on this whole earth Shoto held any attraction for her. It was truth she was forcing herself to accept. All of Endeavor's other words though... they cut deep.

"You think that's all this is?" Mr. Hoshino scoffed. "You think the only reason he spends time with Kairi, runs to help her, goes out of his way to protect her, follows the code heroes are supposed to follow, is because he's a teenage boy who can't control his hormones? You think you failed so bad at parenting that one pretty face makes him lose all sense at being a hero?!"

"Is this the kind of training they teach at the precinct?!" Endeavor's rage was growing, filling the room on its own. Between Kairi's anxiety and his anger, the room was a poisonous place to be. "To twists words?! What kind of stuff are you teaching your daughter?!"

"It hasn't occurred to you that maybe you're so bad at influencing your child in any way possible that even your abusive tactics have completely gone past him and instead he's become a good hero and an even better person? A great friend to Kairi? Someone who is willing to take the fall for others? It hasn't occurred to you that maybe unlike you, he could actually care about someone enough to want to protect them at all costs?!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Enji growled at the moment two nurses ran in. One rushed over to Shoto's side, asking what it was he needed. He gestured to his father, while the other nurse grabbed Endeavor's arm and gently tried to encourage him out the door. "Are you saying I have no care for me family? That I don't protect them?!"

"I don't know, why don't you ask your children and _your wife_?!" Mr. Hoshino hissed threateningly.

"Do you know who you're talking to?!"

"Mr. Todoroki..." began the nurse who returned from Shoto's side. They touched their hand to Enji's arm, helping the other nurse in encouragement. "I apologize, but I am going to have to ask you to leave."

"I am having a conversation here!"

"Mr. Todoroki!" said the other nurse. "You need to leave right this minute, or we will be forced to get security!" Endeavor's nostrils flared, growling at Mr. Hoshino.

"I'm going to make a complaint to your precinct about you!" he said.

"What are you going to complain about? Defending your child and mine? For arguing? For calling you a bad parent? I'm sorry, Mr. Todoroki, but unfortunately while insulting someone may be rude, it's unfortunately not a crime." Scowling, the two nurses led him away. His anger was so vivid, a smoke trail could almost be seen as he left the room.

Upon Endeavor's disappearance, the energy in the room lifted. Kairi stopped her shaking, but she still remained tangled in the security of blankets.


	53. Comrades in Arms

"He's gone..." Shoto said, when the last trace of Enji had faded from the hall's echoes. She pulled the covers down to under her chin, but stared the empty doorway. Mr. Hoshino huffed out a puff of air while he pushed a hand through his hair.

"I'm... sorry," he said, looking Shoto's direction with intensity. It felt more like he was apologizing for his parenting than the situation. "Shoto, is everything all right? Do I need to send someone to check your place out?"

"It's fine, Mr. Hoshino. Don't worry about it."

"Because Kairi's made mention, and based what I just heard-"

"I appreciate the concern. But I promise things are all right. My father and I simply don't get along, that's all there is to it. Not every parent is perfect, right?"

"Right, but..." He gave Kairi pleading eyes. She shook her head hopelessly, still swaddled in her coverings. "Listen, I'm... going to head on down to the station and see what they've gathered after questioning QuirKey's staff. Do you want me to let in your friends?" Shoto looked to Kairi, waiting. She nodded. Mr. Hoshino grunted as he raised from the stool, making for his daughter's bed. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead, eliciting a smile. He turned and held out a hand for Shoto, who took it firmly. "If I come here claiming official police duty, the hospital is required to allow me in, even outside of visiting hours. So if either of you need anything, I am more than willing to come at any time." He winked at Shoto before dropping his hand. Shoto leaned over and gave Kairi a look. She only rolled her eyes before slowly emerging from her blanketed cocoon. The awkward tension fell away with her father's cheerful warmth, allowing her to break from her shell.

"I'm not in need of anything. Thank you, sir," Shoto said.

"The hospital staff said they would supply us with any toiletries we needed," Kairi said. "Besides, isn't flashing your police badge when you're not actually on duty in order to gain privileges considered an abuse of power?"

"It's simply to see my daughter who is in the hospital. I hardly think that's much of a punishable offense that could be considered an abuse of power."

"Regardless, don't worry about us. Just get some rest. You've been doing too many late nights over that kidnapping case."

"Then unless you call for something, I'll be here tomorrow when they release you, Kairi. With a change of clothes?" She nodded. "Have a good night then. Try not to make too much trouble for the nurses."

"So no coloring on the walls then?" Mr. Hoshino smirked. "Damn."

"See you, Riri. Shoto." He disappeared into the clatter of the hallway. Kairi pushed her blanket down all the way and sat straight up.

"I'm sorry for my father's behavior," Shoto said. "That was uncalled for and terrible of him to say." Kairi rolled her fingers together, examining the stressed lines across her nails. Horror stroke through her with the imprint of his father's words. Shoto frowned at the feeling she left.

"Am I a bad influence?" Her voice diminished to one nearly inaudible. "Do I weaken you and make you make questionable decisions?"

"No, of course not, why would you think that?" He scoffed. "I went with you to make sure you were safe. I could never just let you go out there alone."

"But you would be a much better hero..."

"That's bullshit and you know it. You have done the exact opposite. Look, I have never... seen much compassion in my household. I know how it looks on TV, and I have a theory of what it looks. But I had never seen much of it until Midoriya exhibited last year. And then I saw it up close and personal, being your friend. In fact, with you, I literally feel it. It's helped to educate me. Care and compassionate makes for a _better_ understanding hero. And that feeling is what made me refuse to abandon you. I had to remain by your side to make sure you were safe. That's what heroes do, we protect people, right?"

"But my decisions could have put you in terrible danger and gotten you in major trouble!"

"What does that matter so long as you were safe?" He spat. The quickness in his reply made her chest shudder. How could he be so blasé about everything and focus so much on her own safety? Her heart was struggling to contain itself thinking about it. Eyes fixed to her, centering his focus. She grew warm. "You were my priority, the whole time. None of that other stuff I mattered. I tried to make sure we were following hero protocol, and thankfully we didn't break any laws. But even that wouldn't have mattered."

"But that's exactly what your father said! There's protocols for a reason and m... my, erm.. your need to... make sure I was said caused you to ignore them and...!"

"And _your_ father said it was situational. Which it was. And the situation was I chose to concern myself more with you."

"But I was weak! I couldn't do anything in there, I...!"

"Stop it, Kairi! Stop it! You're the reason we got out. _You_ got us out."

"Yeah, because I used some old and stupid trick _you_ come up with."

"It doesn't matter who came up with it! That's what this is, right? We're comrades. We're friends. We're partners in the field. We play off of each other, plan together, work together. Strengths and weakness, we can build off the other, and we're stronger together. Never leave your partner behind, right? You should know all about that. That's what I refused to do. I refused to leave my partner behind. And so did you. Not just me... you made sure to get Bakugo, someone you can't stand. Sacrificing your own self for the benefit of others. That's not just hero work, it also is something the average person struggles with. Sometimes even the strongest among us have trouble being so selfless. Yet, you did it without hesitating. Maybe you can't throw a punch the way some of others can, but the strength of your mind and character might be better than you can even say for some heroes. You're not weak, Kairi. If anything you _strengthen_ me." Her heart would not calm, and would not take a break from its ballet performance as it leapt wildly in her chest. His words, filled with a devotion and yet felt unworthy of it. She shied away from the impact of his words, but could not deny how warm they felt when they seeped into her soul. How she wanted. So small, and yet so tall at the same time. It was impossible to turn away from these feelings. Did liking your best friend have to be so complicated? "If my father says anything on the contrary one more time, I won't hesitate to face off against him myself."

"Well, I... I'm sorry for the ridiculous claims your father made."

"Yeah, I am too."

"I'm sorry he accused you for growing weak around me, and for implying you had some sort of crush on me."

"... Don't worry about that, Kairi. It's fine."

"It really was stupid of me to go in there without getting some backup."

"Everyone makes some stupid decisions. However, you were suspicious of QuirKey from the beginning, which is some pretty good intuition. Pretty smart about that, if you ask me." She smiled warmly.

Clamoring and excitable talking was heard just outside the hospital room. Green hair popped in first before Momo pushed past the eager Izuku. Tsu pushed past both of them but leaping between Momo's long legs and popping up in front of them. "_Ribbit_!" she greeted.

"You're okay!" Kairi called.

"Yep!" Izuku said, giving her a thumbs up. "Endeavor blasted them, cutting them off the rest of the building. Eraserhead erased that woman's vomit quirk and I isolated the lion man with one of my smashes. With a few extra moves from Tsu and Momo, Tsu restrained them long enough for Endeavor to get them the handcuffs and the cops took them away. It was a quick fight once the Pro Heroes were on scene!"

"What happened in there?" Shoto relayed the story again, saving Kairi having to relive it again. The three of them held on firmly to his tale, each of them becoming more horrified the further he explained.

"... now they want to hold us over night," he finished. "Does anyone know if Bakugo is awake yet?"

"He's groggy, but swearing a lot," Momo said. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm... really sorry, but I knew that you just couldn't go in there without some proper backup. I talked to Midoriya and we both agreed we needed to find Aizawa and get him involved. Tsu refused to let us go alone and once we told Aizawa... he told Endeavor who of course wanted to go after Todoroki. I'm sorry, Kairi, I know you wanted..."

"No, it's fine, you were absolutely right..." she sighed. "I should have been more logical than relying on my emotions. Again."

"Your emotions weren't wrong," Izuku said. "They were right in pointing out QuirKey had some diabolical secrets."

"It's okay, Izuku. I know I need to learn to balance the two mind sets," Kairi dismissed casually.

"We only got a few minutes but we wanted to see you before heading back, _ribbit_!" said Tsu.

"Were you terribly injured at all?" Momo asked.

"Some scrapes and bruises, but we're all right," Shoto answered. He gestured towards Kairi. "She... hurt her wrists a bit, thanks to those damn restraints being sharp and too tight."

"But I'm okay," Kairi added.

"Bakugo was clearly not happy to be in the hospital. We left when his mother came in screaming. He wasn't too happy to see us anyway," said Izuku. Kairi lifted a brow.

"His... mother started screaming?" she repeated. Izuku breathed in cautiously.

"Bakugo's anger is inherited, it seems," he said. Kairi looked to Shoto, who only shrugged as if it were knowledge he already had.

"Well... thanks for... bringing in back-up... and telling Aizawa..." Kairi's confessing thanks spiraled out of her slowly.

"I'm sorry, Kairi, I just..." Momo said guiltily. "But I felt it was necessary and I... if anything bad happened to either of you because-"

"I know." Kairi held up a hand to stop her. "It's okay. You made the right call. I was too stubborn and hard-headed and should have just done what you did."

"Learning to be a hero also means making some mistakes along the way," Tsu said, leaning over the bed to pat Kairi's hand. She smiled down at her. One of the nurses from earlier peered into the room, reminding them visiting hours were ending for the night.

"We'll see you all tomorrow, I'm sure," Shoto said, waving them away. "We're just here for observation to make sure we didn't sustain any terrible damage."

"Yeah, and then we can begin the lectures..." Kairi groaned, slipping back under her covers while she half-heartedly waved at their friends before they disappeared from the room. The nurse shut the heavy door behind them, leaving both Shoto and Kairi in a silent room once again.

"I doubt it will be as bad as you think," he said to her, though his voice sounded somewhat hesitant. She rolled the blankets in her fingers, eyes boring into the texture of the fabric between her hands.

"This is what my quirk does, Shoto. One way or another... it brings trouble."

"That's-"

"Don't say it's ridiculous. It happened slower this time, but being friends with me is a dangerous thing. I could have gotten us in _serious_ trouble. I have already gotten you in trouble with your father..." Her stomach churned in her discomfort as she remembered him yelling in the room.

"That's nothing I can't handle. And it's nothing to do with you, okay? My father is like that."

"I mean that isn't good, but that doesn't mean I should be aggravating it more. A policeman's daughter, and if you weren't there I _would_ have broken the law because I didn't care! My emotions ruled over me because I can't control how erratic they are, how crazy they get! My senses are overpowered and it turns into a huge mess like this! Being my friend is _dangerous_, I'm _dangerous_! Almost synonymous with a villain, even!" Shoto aggressively shook his head. "I dragged you into this, if it weren't for your sense, I would have gotten you in major trouble! God, can you imagine the lecture we're going to get from Aizawa? From the Principal, for completely abandoning everything we're been taught as heroes! And it was _my fault_!" Her soul stirred up her wild anxiety. Tension pushed against her, and she was unable to stop the tears that flowed freely. She swallowed, wishing that thickness would disappear from her throat. Breaths deepened with the visible rises in her chest. Shoto frowned and shoved aside his blankets before rising to his feet. "I _caused all of this_! Because no matter how much I _fucking try_, I can't get control of this! I am out of control! Not only do I make stupid decisions but... I... I get... I can't..." She gulped, trying to find air and only grasping small amounts of it. She curled her fingers around each other, twitching in her spot. Wheezing breaths sounded from her while Shoto wheeled his monitor alongside his steps. Upon standing near her bed, he tapped against her knee. Responding automatically, she moved several inches to her right, allowing room beside her. Shoto swung his legs over the bed and laid beside her. Kairi was too lost in her panic for anything to occur to her about how close he was.

"Before I say anything I need you to focus on taking breaths. Don't think about anything else. Hold each breath for a couple seconds before releasing them, okay?" Kairi nodded, obeying him. In moments, her panic decreased slightly, but her hands still shook. Shoto placed a hand against her back, talking her through her grounding exercises until she felt reasonably calm again. His palm continued to burn into her back while he spoke. "We're going to still make mistake. We're still in training. And even Pro Heroes are still making mistakes on occasion. You think all the teachers are going to expect us to be perfect heroes already? At fifteen, almost sixteen? In addition, we're teenagers. Every parent in the world will tell you teenagers make stupid decisions. That's including the ones who aren't heroes, even the quirkless." Her heart smiled while she wiped at a stray tear. "Maybe things would have been worse alone. That's why it's important for heroes to work with others, right? To hold each other accountable for their actions and to work together to find the best course of action. Maybe I prevented things from being worse, but you got us out and you were the one who sensed something was fishy in the first place. And you were right. And Momo, and Midoriya... they were the ones who thought to send in back-up. Friends work together to build each other up. Heroes work together to make the best decision and turn out the strongest and most effective result. There were some bumps, but that's what we did. Heroes who are also friends? There's nothing stronger than that, I think."

"But if I hadn't so badly wanted to go, you wouldn't have wanted to go!" Kairi argued, though her chest had relaxed and her voice had grown even. Shoto shook his head calmly.

"No. I said it before. I wanted to go to make sure you were going to be safe. It didn't matter how badly you wanted to go. That was all me, and not you. Your own emotions had nothing to do with me going with. I wasn't going to send you in there alone, and that was that. And if anything like that ever happens again, I will strongly try to talk you out of it. But I am _never_ going to let you go alone. I will never abandon you like that."

It was uncontrollable, the fluttering in her soul. Surely, he felt it. It was impossible, considering how wild the feeling was acting. Her breath quickened again, for a different reason this time. The heat from his arm touched against her shoulder and back, while he continued to keep her in a strange half embrace. She froze while she gripped the blanket. A screaming for him to back away from her so she couldn't feel his closeness echoed in her mind. However, the screaming faded, drowned out by her heart's pleads for him to remain. The firmness in his words, the promise that he was never going to leave her alone. It was terrifying and she begged in her soul that he was wrong. With her quirk, it sounded terrible. Kairi pushed away every scenario that occurred to her, of how that could damage him. She wished he wouldn't. But didn't please her and lift her victorious. How much she wanted it to be true and for him to remain beside her through anything.

"I wish you wouldn't say such things," she sniffled. Golden amber eyes twinkled. "But I'm grateful, regardless."

"Good," he smirked. "I'm sorry about the uh... panda sweatshirt."

"It's fine, it's just clothes."

"But the ears!" he reminded. "If I remember right, you would not stop texting me about the ears when you bought it. They were the only reason you bought it."

"It served a better purpose," she shrugged as Shoto reached over for her phone on the nearby tray. He tapped at it, opening the streaming app for them.

"Season seven, right?" he asked. Her shoulders rolled back as the weight of her stress fell away. Kairi situated herself more comfortably against him, leaning over to get a better look at the phone. "Try not to get so excited again you have a heart attack."

"Aren't I in the best place to have a heart attack?"

"Do you want to be the want to tell the doctors you had a heart attack because you were so excited you just couldn't contain yourself and fangirled so hard?"

"I would wear that as a badge of honor!" she declared with a prideful fist to her chest. Shoto rolled his eyes, face aglow with amusement.

"Of course you would..." he sighed, pressing play. For the most part, she was silent, too exhausted from the day's events. However, she found it in her to release a small squeal now and then.

Three episodes later, the phone had fallen into Shoto's lap, Kairi's head rested against his shoulder, and the two of them slept soundly.


	54. The Strength of Emotion

It was getting harder to ignore the elephant that followed her into every room and space she occupied. Neither of them had mentioned it, and carried on as if nothing had happened. Kairi waited for him to say anything, and couldn't believe he thought it completely normal and average that she had fallen asleep against him and he remained the whole night sleeping in her bed. It was obscene, of course. It was strange, it was odd. It wasn't like when she spent a couple nights in Momo's bed, or slept in Tsu's room that one time. That was normal, that happened all the time. Friends did that, that wasn't the part that was weird. And it wasn't like it was a normal night either, he was comforting her. Besides, they were exhausted and it was a complete accident they fell asleep together.

But then again, they had slept near each other during that survival exercise, a mere couple feet from each other. Of course, that was a different time. Kairi's feelings had changed very much since then and this time they were in the same bed. But Shoto made no mention of it. He woke up, said good morning, and left the bed to head over to the bathroom. He went back into his own bed and let the nurses attend to them. Not a single word, and he had acted like everything was fine. Meanwhile, Kairi had to deal with the pinball game that played in her center as her mind pieced together what had just happened. Two friends watched a show and fell asleep. It was such an innocent sentence and held no meaning. A boring story, being perfectly honest. But she couldn't shake how much she was freaking out about it. He was perfectly fine. With rooted sadness, Kairi had to admit to herself – he acted normal because to him it was perfectly normal. He held no affection to her beyond friendship. He had no problem just falling asleep because that's all it was. There were no feelings. They were friends and nothing more. Just friends to him, and that was all they would ever be. Part of her was thankful that's all that would happen. The other part of her withered away, weeping.

Shoto had spent years learning how to mask pain, dull his true feelings to the rest of the world and appear fine. It was this trained talent that came into play as he dealt with pretending to act completely normal around Kairi. All that had happened was, he fell asleep beside his friend. Something in her felt anxious, but considering everything that happened, it didn't surprise him she felt that way. She viewed him as just a friend, a really good friend. Of course, maybe it surprised her a little to have a friend fall asleep beside her like that because she had never been used to it. A lot of stuff about friendship was still new to her and she reacted in surprise, with gratitude for it all. But the truth was, he was struggling to hide it all away. He played the part, talking with the nurse and continued to tease Kairi as they packed up their belongings. He acted normal as they were discharged and waited for their parents to pick them up. His mind was distracted for a moment when his father had to be the one to get him (he had refused to let Mr. Hoshino drive him back this time), but the minute he said goodbye to Kairi, he was back at it again, unable to tame his flabbergasted mind.

Perhaps another teenager would have had lewd thoughts (he could name a few who would have) considering he had just fallen asleep beside a girl he... really felt for. Or at least, he thought he did. He wasn't sure if this was how it was supposed to be. There weren't a lot of examples of it he had seen, and his mom had told him that's what it was. Being around her made him happy, happier than he had ever known. But for Shoto, all his thoughts consisted of; did that actually happen? How did that happen? How could he had _let_ that happen? What was he supposed to do now? Had he encroached onto some territory? She never seemed freaked out about it so he didn't think so. Had her chin really been on his shoulder all night? Was his shoulder still burning from her touch? More than anything, his thoughts were confused as he tried to figure it all out. What did this mean for them? If anything? Were they just that close of friends?

They took a moment to quietly acknowledge each other before each heading up to their respective dorm rooms. Kairi let her door shut behind her and tossed away her panda sweatshirt, quietly saying a funeral service for it in her head. First stop being the shower, she stood under the cascade of steaming water. That was where she finally unleashed her cries and expressions of everything that had happened.

"What is wrong with me? Why did I do that? I am such an idiot, why didn't I use my head! Because I just had to be right, I just had to go and play some fucking hero, well guess what Kairi Hoshino, you're the only one in the class without a fucking provisional license, that makes you less of a hero than everyone else! So what makes you think that you had any _right_?! Oh, and also you drug Shoto into it which by the way, he must be your real friend because he is a fucking saint for dealing with all that! And also, by the way, you better get your fucking head on straight because you fell asleep beside him and he was unaffected. So _clearly_ there is nothing for you there and you better just..."

For fifteen minutes, she continued on. She rambled as she lathered up her hair, rinsed, cleaned herself properly. She still continued as she stepped out and brushed her hair. When she was dressed, words ran out. She gripped her stuffed elephant and flopped onto her bed, her mind exhausted of all her thoughts. Her phone angrily chirped at her. After jumping, she grabbed it.

_Is Shoto with you? _– Dad. Her heart flipped.

_What kind of question is that? Why would Shoto be with me?_ – Kairi

_Because he's your best friend and the two of you just left the hospital and you might be talking about your experiences?_ – Dad. She bit her lip, feeling sheepish.

_Oh, yeah meant physically with me?_

_Yeah, what else did you think I meant?_

_Nothing. Do you need him to be?_

_ I just thought he might appreciate hearing some of the details about QuirKey. I thought I might call you and talk to you both._

_ Yeah, sure. Give me a second._ A moment's text asked Shoto if he wasn't busy, if he could come into her room. A reply almost immediately, he agreed to it. With that said, Mr. Hoshino rang Kairi and she answered.

"You get back all right?" he asked.

"You just saw me like, an hour ago," Kairi said, twirling her hair into a wet ponytail. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just how I am..." he sighed. "Is Shoto there yet?"

"Not yet. Give him a few minutes though." An awkward pause, followed by a sigh.

"Kairi... listen... about the ring." The stone dropped into her stomach.

"Dad, I know, I shouldn't have taken it."

"No, I just... I understand, I... if you had maybe explained it to me I would have understand and I would have let you but... Riri, I don't like that you still want a connection to her."

"It's not like I can just cut her off..." she said. "Dad, she's'... she's my mom. No matter what horrors she did and how she treated me. It's hard to just stop loving your mom."

"I... I know." There was a break in his voice, as if he trying to not cry. "It just hurts me that you are willing to allow such toxicity into your life. I happily signed the divorce papers because I couldn't allow her treatment of you to go on. I wanted her away from you, as much as I loved her."

"Maybe I'm an ass for saying this, but it's a little easier for you to get over a relationship when you can have many," Kairi said, trying hard to remain calm in her voice. "It's harder to get over your mom when I will only ever have one who birthed me."

"It isn't when your daughter looks more and more like her every day." Her heart pinched. "No, I'm sorry... you have a point. It can't be easy to just let go of your mother. I didn't mean that as a bad thing. Your mother was beautiful. I imagine still is." A gentle knock resounded on the door. Kairi quietly moved to it and pulled it open.

"Also remember – you're the one who still has it."

"Yeah... that's... a good point too." She waved Shoto inside. He softly let the door close while she paced the room with the phone against her ear. "I guess it... is a little hard to let go of the woman who gave me the greatest thing I could ever hope for." Her cheeks warmed, pleased at the response. Shoto have her a questioning eyebrow raise.

"You... said I... look like her. Do I... act like her?"

"Uhh..." he mumbled, cautious in his words. "In... some ways. She got stressed easily too and tended to dodge around things that upset her. She pushed away issues and liked to pretend they didn't exist. She didn't want to deal with them so she decided if they were out of sight, they were out of mind. She ran from her problems, obviously. If I tried to bring something up and discuss it, she would try to change to subject to avoid getting stressed, and it happened so easily."

"How did she become a cop then?"

"That was... different. It was something she could solve. Like she knew how to handle that kind of stuff. Emotional, personal stuff. Issues in her own life was difficult. Work was so easy for her and she could just jump in and do it. I guess in some of those ways... you are like her? You get stressed easily, but when it comes to this hero work and its important, you see it differently and jump right in and do your work. Sometimes through whatever means necessary, as long it was the right thing." He chuckled quietly. "However... where you're different is, even though its hard and you so badly want to ignore the issue – you still try to work through it. You still try to figure out, as much as it bothers you. It's like you can't let it go until it's taken care of. Unless it's fixated on you, that's why you just try to disappear. But if the stress is important to you, you will still deal with it. On and off the field. That makes you a much better hero than she ever was as a cop. You don't run away from your problems unless I'm asking you to vacuum."

"It's loud and I don't like it!" Kairi said.

"You did get your anger for injustice happening from her. Which, in a way, is contradictory to the way she acted to you."

"You don't think that maybe she left because she felt it was best for my well-being?" Kairi posed. "Like she knew we were stressing each other out, it bared on my mental health, and so she left to protect me?"

"I... don't know, Kairi. I think it was better for us mentally that she did, I won't deny that. But I have no idea if she was aware of it and that's why she did it, or if what she did was truly selfish or not. I'm just mad at the whole thing and I'm glad she doesn't have contact with either one of us anymore." Kairi gritted her teeth. Her insides flopped, and she was grateful he was unable to feel her emotions through the phone.

"Y... yeah. Any way um... maybe it's best you get rid of the ring then. If you don't want another piece of her hanging around."

"Are you okay with that?"

"It's..." she swallowed. "It's okay. I have other things of hers."

"Okay. Well I guess I'll sell it then. I'll get it some other time. Did Shoto arrive?"

"Uh... yeah." Kairi pulled her phone down and pressed on the speaker button. "He's here and you're on speakerphone."

"Hello, Mr. Hoshino," Shoto greeted.

"Hey. Are you doing all right, Shoto?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"And the car ride with your father went all right?"

"I think he got out most of his anger yesterday. He was pretty silent."

"I'm sorry about that, again."

"Don't worry about it. What was it you needed?"

"Okay... so..." Mr. Hoshino paused to take a deep breath before beginning. "It was an easy interrogation, from the sounds of it. I wasn't needed, even though I tried really hard to be the one to talk to them."

"That makes sense, considering it was a conflict of interest," Kairi said.

"Kurisu did really attend medical school. He is a real doctor, or at least was. His whole staff was. But for one reason or another, they lost their licenses. It seems as if he truly wants to help people and thinks he is doing the right thing, but some of his practices have been questionable and ethically ambiguous."

"Like how quirkblocking is ethically ambiguous?" Kairi asked.

"Ehh, not... quite that. More like mercy killing of humans. If someone is suffering and their death is inevitable, is it better to allow them to die slowly while trying to make it as comfortable as possible, or is it kinder to kill them painlessly with some sort of injection?" Kairi flinched. Shoto uncomfortably shifted. "Doctors are not allowed to mercy kill, it's against their ethics. The closest they can get is to not resuscitate, and that's only if a family signs a DNR. He didn't believe that. As much as he would like to do everything he can to save people, sometimes he thinks the kinder thing is do something that violates his oath as a doctor."

"An oath he's no longer under since he had his license taken away from him," Shoto said.

"Well, that's why his license was taken away in the first place. That's just one of the less dark beliefs of his."

"Less dark?" Kairi repeated, shock widening her eyes.

"Yes, he has some beliefs that a bit darker and honestly kind of confusing. I won't go into what they are. But he truly seems like he believes he is trying to help people. And in a weird twisted way, his heart is... facing the right place? If that makes sense. But his methods, and the things he does... I don't agree with. He's also arrogant and it sounds like there have been times where a patient would not give their consent to him, but he would think it's in the patients best interests and do it anyway."

"But aren't there moments where a doctor has a right to do that?" Kairi asked.

"Sometimes," Mr. Hoshino agreed. "If religious beliefs, for example, made a patient not want a lifesaving treatment and the doctor did it anyway because they are required by oath to do everything possible to save someone. But he went beyond that, arrogance controlling him rather than doing it for the good will of the person. He also would break laws, obtain illegal drugs, et cetera, in order to do what he thought was in the patients' best interest. I understand some of that feeling, but doctors can't break laws unless it's something other laws can protect them against. This doesn't sound to be the case for Kurisu.

"Anyway, it sounds like this was the kind of operations he was running and trying to continue to run in QuirKey. He created QuirKey because it was ethically ambiguous and he believed in the future, it could really take off as something the general public approved of. Over the years, he found colleagues who agreed with him and some people he eventually convinced to agree with him. They built QuirKey together and had hopes to expand their... medical business. They were hoping that QuirKey would help the world, and help them get money to continue 'helping the world' in their own ways."

"This is really confusing... and upsetting."

"It is. Maybe he truly believed he helped people and in some instances, he might have. But it doesn't change the fact he used many illegal methods and violated a lot of people's rights and privacy. Including your own and classmates, by taking your blood for their own needs, without your permission to do so. Think of this way... his medical practices were like getting addicted to morphine to stop an opium addiction. And some of the people thought they were being helped."

"What about the people who received their quirks?" Shoto asked.

"He had records of them on his tablet. They're following up on them now, trying to track them down. I'm repeating everything I have been told. They're willing to update me on the case, but I'm not allowed to be on it at all, even if it's desperate and they need me to use my quirk. It's too personal for their comfort, but Kairi... this is very important, are you listening?"

"yes," Kairi said quietly, clutching the phone.

"Your methods weren't the best, perhaps. You should have requested backup. Your friends helped you with that. They helped you with back-up, and Shoto made sure you didn't get into trouble. Remember that, for next time, okay? Always call for back-up because you never know what you'll encounter. That's almost rule number one at the precinct. But aside from that... your intuition was correct. Your suspicion, the strength of your emotions and following them... brought down an entire institution. You felt something and you couldn't shake it's strength. And you were right _because_ your emotions were so strong. Because of that, you got several people arrested who over the years hurt hundreds of people, and may have continued to hurt many more were it not for you. Because they kept records, like any doctor should, we can follow up on them and check on those people. If they are in need of treatment, we can get them treated and checked out. Do you understand how big this is? Do you know how many people you have saved doing this? It was your emotions, Kairi. Your emotions saved people." The phone slipped from her hand, bouncing against the bed. Sobbing, she pressed a hand to her mouth. Shuddering coughs and weeping wheezes silenced by the action of her hand, a flood streamed from her eyes. Overpowering pride and relief expanded out from her, too big to contain. Could it be true? Her methods were clumsy but had her actions actually done more good than harm? Did she just get a feeling that really, truly... saved, _rescued_, hundreds of people?

"Kairi?" Shoto asked, extending a hand to touch her arm. "Are you okay?"

"Kairi? Honey, are you still there?" Echoed Mr. Hoshino from the phone.

"Did I... really... do that?" She said, disbelieving.

"Shoto, is she okay?"

"She's fine she's... emotional but, in a good way, I think," he answered.

"Kairi. Your actions saved so many people. You're learning how to follow your quirk, and you're using it in a heroic way. Your friends, they did as they were supposed to and made sure you went about it legally, the right way. They made sure to send in back up. Whatever they're teaching you at the school... they're making some great heroes, and know how to teach teamwork. You should be so _proud_ of yourself sweetheart. I am so proud of you, Kairi! You felt something in your gut so strongly, you couldn't ignore it. And you followed it, and you _were right_!"

She keeled over, coughing through her wails. Her own arms hugged herself tight, laughter escaping between the sobs. Crying, and then laughter. Then crying, and then laughter. She couldn't figure out the most appropriate response. This whole time, she was thinking she screwed everything up, and while a lecture from her teachers certainly still coming, it was hard to obsess over it. She laughed wildly, cackling from hysteria. It was impossible to believe. Could her quirk really have that power? Have that strength? Did that really just happen?

"Kairi, keep that group of friends, they'll serve you well in the future. Shoto, keep Kairi by your side. I have a feeling she's going to be a great asset, and a phenomenal hero in the future."

"I don't plan on going anywhere, Mr. Hoshino," Shoto chuckled.

"Good. I'm going to get some sleep. I've been up most of the night but... remember Kairi. Be proud of yourself. You did so well, honey. I'm so proud! I love you!"

"I... love you... t-too! Dad!" she gasped, gripping her phone tightly again. "Thank you!" With a chuckle, he ended the connection. Kairi rocked in her wild elation, unable to stop the flow of emotion from her eyes. Shoto grabbed her, holding her close to himself in a tight hug.

"You did it, Riri. You did it. Just like I knew you would someday, and it came sooner than I even thought it would. In so many ways, you might have saved hundreds of people from malpractice."

"I'm a rescuer..." she whispered to herself, between sobbing laughs. "Shoto... I'm a rescuer!"

* * *

**I really truly appreciate the wonderful feedback I have been getting from this story. I had no idea when I started this it would grow to be this big. I appreciate everyone's patience in this agonizing slow slow burn. I take slow burn very seriously, to the point where I even start to get annoyed at myself. But I have done quite a bit of writing the last few days and as a reward for being so so patient and so amazing I will tell you this: Chapter 60 is going to be a chapter FULL of so many feels and Chapter 61... is when feelings will finally be confessed. So hold tight, lovelies. It's coming, and I am sorry I have dragged you along so long. But it won't be long now, I promise!**


	55. Things Friends Do

Nezu looked across from his desk, face absent of any expression aside from the small grin he wore. The principal sipped at his small teacup as Kairi pulled at the fabric on her skirt, as if she were hoping to curl up inside her school uniform. Aizawa's glaring gaze bore through her uncomfortably. Already, the situation was stressful enough. His stern eyes did nothing to help the situation. Kairi sunk into herself, waiting to disappear. Shoto sat beside her, shifting anxiously as their teacher continued to stare at them, crossed arms accentuating his anger towards them. Bakugo, however, seemed incredibly bored and leaned against his hands.

The crowds had not stopped. Getting into the school the next day had been hard enough. While they spent the remainder of their weekend hiding out in the school, news and social media filled with reports of the attack on QuirKey by 2-A students. When the staff at QuirKey had finally been questioned and processed, it hadn't taken long for their details to appear in the media. The media demanded to speak with the students who had exposed QuirKey and the unethical practices of their staff to the world. They remained inside, trying to hide from it all. But leaving for school that morning had been impossible. Their friends had thankfully helped to shield them and they took a more roundabout way to get to school, but the usual 5 minute walk to school had been made to be nearly twenty minutes with all the inconveniences. Once in the school, they had been safe. Except, they had been called for a brief meeting before the start of school, in Principal Nezu's office. Now, here they were, waiting.

"Legally, there was nothing you did wrong," Nezu began solemnly while he set down his teacup. "Aside from Bakugo, that is. He used his quirk to infiltrate the building, but given the situation and the result, there are no charges and the police have decided not to follow it up."

"Great," Bakugo sputtered, boredom lingering in his express. Nezu pressed his paws together.

"You two, however. You did not break and enter, you did not trespass, you didn't assault anyone until you believed you were in danger and the police has filed that as self defense. You finished your assignment for the culture festival and you had every right to decide to stay and enjoy the festival and go home. There were no school rules you violated, as everything that happened occurred off campus. Technically speaking, you have not broken any rules, aside from some rude decisions."

"And some idiotic decisions," Aizawa said, his voice stern and serious. "We can't say that you did anything wrong on paper because there was nothing illegal that happened or against school policy as you were not on school grounds. However, you serve as representatives of this school, and you need to remember that when you are out there. Not only that, as heroes, you need to know how to handle a decision properly and follow hero protocol! Hoshino, you have no license yet and Bakugo and Todoroki, you still only have a provisional license. As you are still considered in training and this is your first offense for it, neither one of you are in danger of being disciplined for misconduct. However, once you are fully licensed heroes, this type of thing could find you in real trouble and disciplinary action would need to be taken!" Aizawa stepped out of his dark corner and leaned over the desk, looking across to all three of them. "You request back-up, especially since you are still training! You do _not_ go in alone, and you come up with a plan. Proper protocol would have been to inform me or other Pro Heroes and formulate a plan. You have been attending this school long enough that you should know this by now. As examples of this school, as future heroes, you are _expected_ to follow procedure, procedure you have repeated over and over. If you do this as Pro Heroes, you will be charged with hero misconduct, is that understood?"

"Yeah," Bakugo grumbled. Shoto nodded quickly while Kairi sadly nodded, avoiding Aizawa's eyes.

"We of course don't want it to go unrecognized that you followed your convictions," Nezu said calmly. "You felt something was off and you followed it, and you were correct. The course you took to get there, however, was inappropriate and not the behavior we expect from students of UA. Trust me when I say this is a very serious offense all three of you have pulled." The small principal's eyes hardened and he looked across them, no longer appearing cheery. Bakugo opened his mouth, which made Nezu hold up his paw. "I don't care who started it. The truth is all three of you were involved, therefore all three of you are responsible. Nothing is going to change your involvement in it. If anything like this happens again, the school and the police might have to treat it as hero misconduct. You could face disciplinary action and may be suspended or even expelled from UA. You might also forfeit any chance of pursuing a major related to a hero or sidekick field in any university in the world." Kairi fell into herself, vanishing away from the daunting words. They may not have received any discipline, but the both of them were correct. What they did was incredibly serious and it was her fault. She drug them into it. If they had just followed protocol, they could have captured QuirKey staff anyway and brought them to justice – all without the mess they made of it. Guilt sat uncomfortably in her, having made its home the past few days. She fidgeted with the rows of thick bracelets on her arms, hiding the bandages she still wore. They stood out and were a bit loud for her taste – but they at least stopped the staring and questions.

"Unless you have anything to add, Mr. Aizawa..." Nezu's smiled returned as he sat back in his seat. "Let's make sure this never happens again."

"Yes. Not again," Aizawa firmly said, looking across all three of them. He rubbed the center of his eyes. "Now I have to go deal with a press conference over this. I _really_ don't want this to happen again."

"I once again would like to request the blame fall all on me for this..." Kairi said.

"I admire your responsibility Miss Hoshino," Nezu nodded. "But as stated previously, all three of you were involved. Maybe you asked them all to come along, but they had the choice to say yes or no. No one made them do anything, and therefore, it is their responsibility to share." She nodded dismally. With no more questions, Nezu dismissed them.

"Don't drag me into your mess again, okay, Hoshino?" Bakugo said. She nodded, her eyes watching her feet shuffle down the hall. "But, Nezu and Aizawa were correct. I should have known an idea like that could only come from an idiot, but I still decided to go along with it. Following an idiotic idea only made me an idiot too so yeah, I admit it. I screwed up too. The responsibility is shared. Just don't ask me to go on your stupid missions again!" While his words were filled with many insults, the admission of his own fault made her snap her eyes up to him with surprise.

"I'm not going to have any messes like this," Kairi said.

"I also didn't need you to come back for me. Given enough time, I would have found a way out!" he growled. His shoulders fell with his huff. "But, you doing so got us out of there faster. So yeah, whatever." Giving her another scowl, Bakugo gave her another scowl and then ran on ahead of them to go to class. She paused in the hall, blinking after the vanishing classmate of theirs. Shoto froze as well, pivoting to look at Kairi in bewilderment.

"Was that a thank you?" Kairi squeaked.

"I think... so?" Shoto said, just as surprised as her. "I guess that's how Bakugo says thank you. I'm fairly certain that's the nicest I have ever seen him towards anyone who isn't Kirishima."

"Are we in another dimension?" She pulled at a stretch of skin on her arm. It bit. "Ow... well, not dreaming. So we must be in another dimension. Or maybe some aliens body snatched him."

"Dimensions? Body-snatching?" Shoto huffed. "What happened to your distaste for sci-fi?"

"What makes you think dimensions and body-snatching is solely a sci-fi concept? Are you still willing to play _Seawall_?"

"Uhh... is any of that... stuff in there?" he asked slowly.

"Come on. Let's get school over with. Then after class, I'm going to begin your initiation!"

"So we're not doing the homework we didn't do in order to spend the last few days preparing for the festival?"

"Oh give me a break, Shoto! I just spent the last thirty-six hours fighting against terrible doctors trying to take our blood, being hooked up to hospital machines, hearing lectures from our parents, fighting back cameras and microphones shoved in our faces by noisy reporters, and got an earful from Aizawa and Nezu! I need _something_ to look forward to. If you want, we can even play a little _Seawall_ and then do the damn homework!"

"Okay – one hour to show me the basics. Then I'm making you sit down and write that essay for history."

"Ugggghhh!"

Aizawa essentially delivered a more general and condensed version of the speech he gave them in the office. Without mentioning names, while everyone knew about the incident and who did it, he told them how important it was to follow protocol and the consequences they would face in the future should they ignore it. With one more note about the importance of backup, he concluded his lecture and the day went on, almost without a reminder of the incident again.

Momo had the foresight to request her driver pull his limo to the front of the school. Shoto put his arm across Kairi's shoulders and the two of them lowered their heads while flashes spouted around them at the end of the day. Bakugo fought back with his rage, telling them off for sticking their microphones in his face, and then he told them what else they could do with it. Momo ran on ahead, gesturing to her friends to jump into the limo. Shoto helped Kairi step inside and tumbled in after her. Followed by Izuku, Tsu, Momo, and then Bakugo. He kept his stern gaze at his feet and remained silent for the short trip.

The press hadn't been quick enough to follow the vehicle, and all of them ran out immediately, giving their thanks to Momo. Izuku held the door open for everyone to run on inside their door, shutting the door just before the press could finally catch up.

"You have no idea how thankful I am for that," Kairi said, tossing herself onto the couch in the common area.

"It was a struggle this morning and so I gave him a heads up. Everything go okay this morning?" Momo asked, sitting beside her. Shoto moved across the room, making for the small kitchen they all shared.

"Yeah. We're not in trouble but they made it clear they weren't happy. Basically, they shared a detailed version of what Aizawa said in homeroom," Kairi said rubbing at her face. "Ugh, but it's normal school stress now. No more culture festival, no more QuirKey, no more aftermath, no more lectures. Things can just be normal for a bit."

"Yeah and now you can figure out what you're going to do about...?" Momo nodded towards Shoto, who could be seen pressing a button on the electric kettle in the kitchen. Kairi followed her eyes and gulped, sighing sadly.

"I'm not doing anything."

"No?"

"I'm just going to sit with my feelings and let them be. Either they'll go away or I'll be attracted to someone else who is my best friend, right?"

"Or neither will happen and you'll wither in this agony forever," Momo said. Her elbow stabbed against her side. "Come on, you don't want to keep dealing with this, right? I know it's agonizing. We can all still feel it."

"Except that I hate you can all feel it," she groaned, letting her head fall back on the backrest. "It feels like an invasion of privacy and I'm soo... private. At the very least, I just wish people would stop commenting about it."

"I know, and I'm sorry," said Momo, patting her arm. "It's just hard for me to not say anything when I know you're suffering." Kairi let her head roll towards Momo, and she smiled graciously.

"I get it. This friend thing is still weird is all."

"I know everything in you is telling you it will be the end of the world if you anything to Todoroki. And if I ever like someone, I will not be able to take my own advice. But I think you need to tell him. Whether he likes you back or not."

"No, that's where you're wrong..." Kairi said, spinning her body to face her. "If he doesn't like me, then I will be broken and miserable and my depression will have disastrous effects on everyone I am every in the room with. I had a really bad week once and made a teacher cry last year, that was incredibly embarrassing and made all my emotions worse. You have no idea the misery dad felt after mom left because of how I felt."

"You could say part of that was because he was just depressed he left?"

"But it damaged our relationship for years. I don't want to know what rejection feels like. 'The worst they can say is no' right? That doesn't hold the same weight for everyone else as it does for me. People could literally get hurt. And I know this is beginning to sound very 'Oh woe is me, if I'm friendzoned everyone could be hurt so he better nor friendzone me' but that's not it, at all, all right? I'll experience my romances in books and tv shows and fanfiction like every nerd. I cannot pay that price of the possibly irreparable damage my emotions could cause if I'm rejected."

"And? If he does like you back?"

"I have several answers to that – first of all, what has he done that's told you that he likes me?" Momo scoffed and looked up at Shoto dropping a teabag into a cup – Kairi's favorite kind.

"Everything he does?" she guessed.

"Why, just because he's a friend and does things for me?" she asked.

"Kairi, you read one hundred chapters of romantic fanfiction based alone on one possibly suggestive look a character gave another, but you can't read into every little thing Todoroki does?"

"That's fanfiction, it isn't real life, Momo. Also I _really_ hate that you know that." Momo snorted, smiling.

"Well, next time we watch something don't shout 'Oh my god, did you see that?!' and immediately start looking up fanfiction about it. I can't even believe there was already a hundred chapter story about it."

"That episode was a year old!" Kairi defended, slamming a couch pillow at Momo. Warmth stirred in her as a giggle snuck out. "That's ancient to fans!"

"That's not my point anyway. Maybe you don't think he does – but there hasn't been a moment when you questioned maybe there was something? Something that felt out of character for him, even for his friends? Nothing has given you pause?"

"Uh..." Several moments, she watched him blush, turn away. He would look at her and would maybe stumble over his words. He gave her more attention than anyone else. He was kind to everyone, of course, but he was super defensive. Sometimes, when they talked alone, she thought she saw something in those eyes... and in the hospital when he never once moved from her and slept beside her all night... They were best friends and that was normal, right? He slept beside her because they had just been through an ordeal... right?

"He's just... my best friend. That's all. And I am grateful to have that, I am." Kairi said quickly. But the blushing. She bit her lip, unable to find an explanation for that. "I guess, I mean... there have been times I've wondered but... that's got to be because of how I feel. Because I get flustered around him and he's just echoing those feelings. Which is _another_ thing – He has to feel those feelings. So he already knows how I feel. If he shared those feelings, he would say something to me."

"He doesn't seem to acknowledge it."

"Because he's nice, Momo!" Anger and frustration were beginning to knock at her. "I appreciate this but I... can't. Even if he truly did believe he liked me, how am I to know he doesn't just like me because he's feeling my own emotions, thinking it's his own? How could I ever truly know it's his real feelings and not just... me. I could never know."

"But that only works when you're in the room. What about all the times you've stayed up late texting each other back and forth, or how many times he's liked a post or commented on it? You haven't been in the room for those."

"Once again, that's a best friend thing!" Kairi huffed and raised herself from the couch. "Trust me, remaining quiet is best for everyone. I appreciate your support but I think you're seeing things that aren't there. These are all things friends just do for each other, it doesn't have to be exclusive to romantic partners."

"This sounds like another one of your shipping arguments," Shoto said. Kairi stepped back, flinching at his sudden appearance behind her. He twitched, a reflex to her own surprise and then smiled. He set a teacup in front of Momo on the table before her. "I... think I got what you like?" Momo leaned forward and sniffed at her cup, shrugging.

"Usually I prefer _gyokuro_ but jasmine is also very nice!" Momo took her cup and sipped at it. Shoto handed Kairi a steaming cup. She inhaled its scent, smiling pleasantly at the familiar scent. He had chosen her go-to flavor. Then she became aware of the heat in her cheeks and she turned to avoid his gaze.

"All right then," Kairi squeaked. "I guess, uh... I guess it's time to take you on a perilous journey to save the world and kill some ogres and dragons while we're at it."

"Can we stay in the taverns and drink all day too?" he asked as they began their walk towards the steps. Her chest bubbled, a chuckle ready to ride forth.

"Is that what intrigued you about the game? What if I told you there were brothels too?"

"There are brothels in the game?!"

"Yeah, brothels are a pretty standard thing of RPG stories or fantasy games. Why, do you want to _see_ one?"

"How much do they show?!" he was struggling to hide how shocked he was about this revelation.

"Oh god, nowhere near enough," she teased, watching Shoto's face whiten at her mock-offended tone. "Whyyy? Does that disappoint you?"

"N-no!" he said. The two of them neared the set of stairs, speaking brightly with each other as they ascended. Yuga walked into the room, just before they disappeared and elegantly lowered himself to the spot beside Momo. He hummed to himself, watching their two friends as they walked and talked. Kairi playfully shoved Shoto and he reached over to pat her arm. Yuga pressed a hand under his chin before he looked over to Momo.

"Still oblivious then?"

"Yep," Momo sighed, picking up her tea cup.

"_Sacre bleu_, that beautiful boy could straight up die for her and she would say 'He just thinks I'm a really good friend. Friends do that, right?'"

"Except he already did one better. He willingly got in trouble for her and then took his father's lecture for it. And Kairi didn't notice anything." Yuga sighed.

"_Mon dieu_... what's your guess then?"

"Graduation day." Yuga laughed wildly.

"You give her far too much credit, Momo."


	56. The Struggle to Break Connections

Another alert rang on her phone. Kairi's fingers flicked up her phone to catch a glimpse of another remark on the incident that occurred well over a week ago. The bulk of the noise from social media and the press had passed, one of the advantages of living in a society that quickly forgot current events. However, there were still a few and the curiosity had become too strong for her to avoid taking a peak. Secretly, she had been followed the QuirKey hashtag even though it was essentially poison to her mental state. The current venomous comment was a colorful remark on her actions, being so young and trying to undertake a more experienced hero's job. She slammed her phone down and wound her hands together so tightly, it was almost as if she was trying to strangle the other. A muffled fire rose in her gut.

"Stop looking at that hashtag," Shoto said. He popped a handful of popcorn into his mouth in the dim common area, as the screen before them flicked images of the movie they had all chosen to watch together with their friends and a few classmates. "I don't like the stuff they're saying about you any more than you do – and that's why you need to stop looking at it."

"I thought it died down," Momo whispered from Kairi's other side.

"It did, but there's still a few people... saying things..." she mumbled, slowly tucking the phone away.

"_Shhh_!" came Uraraka's harsh sound from where she sat on the far end of the long couch.

"It's easy for you to ignore," Kairi said, dropping her voice even quieter. "Anything about you is almost entirely 'Oh Shoto Todoroki, he's so great! He's just like his dad, so powerful and heroic! Oh what a man he is!'" She fluttered her eyelashes dramatically.

"You don't think that's an insult?" Shoto scoffed. "I'm nothing like my father."

"Well, I know that but they know nothing about your relationship with him and they meant it as a compliment. Sure, there were some posts early on where people defending me, talking my own strength and heroics and thinks like 'Oh what a queen!' and 'We stan strong female heroes!'" Shoto looked over to her with question. She waved it away. "But those were few and far between and the ratio of those comments towards hate-filled ones is... let's just say they're nowhere near yours."

"Wait, I don't understand?" Momo said, turning her body to listen in. "I thought Aizawa purposely left out of the report that you and Todoroki went in alone with no other back-up? I thought he twisted the story to make it sound as if the Pro Heroes and other back-up were coming all along and you just went on ahead." Kairi nodded. It had been true; without informing anyone he purposely twisted the story to sound as if they had a plan all along. No one had known he was going to answers questions without outing them in any way that would get them in trouble. The media treated them just as if they were heroes doing exactly as they were supposed to. That didn't stop the public from weighing in with their own opinions, as usual.

"People are still going to speculate," Shoto said. "We're always going to get some negativity based on our age."

"And the public knows about Kairi's quirk – and not everyone is fond of it," Yuga added from the other side of Momo. She was a lesser celebrity than them, for sure. And possibly not as well loved, but she was a name out there now. A name she didn't appreciate the world knowing, but there was no way around it. Everyone knew her quirk and it seemed for every one who supported her, another was against her and found her evil.

"She's also a girl, _ribbit_," Tsu said, also engaging in the conversation. Izuku looked over them, sounding mildly engaged in the conversation they were having together.

"Oh my god, oh my god, _is she his mother_?!" Uraraka gasped, still focused on the TV. Currently, the attention had drawn mostly back to Kairi's issue and only she and Iida were paying any attention.

"What does that have to do with it?" Izuku asked. Kairi picked up her phone from her lap and spun through the hashtag, wincing at the words she read. Shoto huffed before snatching the phone from her hands. He swiveled through the messages, jaw clenched as he scanned them over. He paused on one that made a vein in his temple tighten. He groaned before continuing on. Kairi raised a brow, curious about what he had seen.

"She's... right. Most of these messages boil down to her age, but hardly any of them mention me. They're all about her being young, and emotional."

"Well, to be fair as far as being emotional-" Kairi begin, but Shoto waved a hand to cut her off.

"No, these tweets are not about you being emotional because of your quirk. They're about you being emotional because you're a young girl, plain and simple. Some are more veiled than others, but a lot of these comments are rooted in plain sexism." Her chest flipped, aching. Of course she knew this was the world. And it wasn't as if it were the first time she received such treatment. In fact, it was rather common. "Girls are emotional", society said. And with her quirk being rooted in emotion, people were more than eager to latch onto that stereotype. And unless the world underwent a sudden massive miracle change (which was never going to happen of course) it was something she was going to have to deal with. If she ever became a Pro Hero, the sexism was only going to come at her harder and in full force. The only way she would ever be free of it was to become a hermit – which was becoming a much more appealing idea every day.

"Todoroki is also the son of a well-loved hero," Tsu said. "And if you'll permit me to say it, has something of an internet fan club. They're going to jump to his defense as well."

"And these are the same people who aren't fans of the fact that you were with Todoroki," Yuga also said.

"Yeah..." Shoto huffed, his annoyance channeling through his voice. He didn't seem particularly happy about having an "internet fan club." "It's ridiculous. They're all being superficial... shit, some of these comments are..." His eyes popped at what he saw on the screen and he slammed the phone down on the table beside the arm of the couch. "I'm done with that."

"Why... what did you see?"

"It's not important, and you don't need to see it. Trust me when I say it will only upset you." By the fury of red in his face, whatever he had seen had also greatly upset him. His lips were clenched together, as if holding back barbed information.

"Uh, okay..." Kairi asked.

"Just... don't look at them again," he said. "They'll forget about it soon."

And for a moment, the phone lay abandoned. The next half hour, they returned to the rest of their companions in watching their show. Until Kairi's phone buzzed again. Then twice. Then three times. Her ears pricking at the familiar pattern of being called, she leaned across Shoto and swiped it from the table – to see her mother's name.

"Uh, I... pause.. wait no! Don't pause it, I... I erm... I need to take this!" she yelled out, leaping from the end of the couch and scurrying halfway across the common area before answering the call. "M-mom!"

"Riri!" came the cheery sing song voice of her mother on the other end. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time!" Kairi looked back at the curious heads peering from further across the room. She waved at them, encouraging them to keep going.

"No I'm free!" she gasped, surprise having taken her breath. "Just... give me a second to head to my room!"

"Oh you weren't in your room?" her mother asked.

"No I was... I was just finishing up some food downstairs. In the kitchen. But I'm done now!" Powered legs began to leap up the steps, heading for her room.

Shoto could not help his eyes when she launched from the couch. He knew that move, the desperate act to run away and hide. Her mother had called. He hadn't seen the ID but based on previous instances he put his money on it. It had been a long time since she had called outside one of their usual predetermined times; and it was obvious it had been because of the incident that just happened. He tried to pay attention to the show they were watching – some fantasy murder mystery that Kairi had been dying to watch that was the current hot show. Considering how invested she got in shows, it had been worrying how little she paid attention to it and was more concerned about everything happening on her phone. He saw a chase through a forest, and then shook his head as he tried to follow a line of questioning within the mayor's office – but his attention was solely on Kairi. How desperate her voice sounded; proud her mother was called but also scared and terrified. His body clenched, crumbling just under his sternum. The contact she kept with her mother; how could he possibly deny her the relationship with her mother. Wasn't that what he had wanted for so long? Craved? Even after the things she had done... but his mother had her own ordeal that she suffered, that caused her to make the mistakes she did. Could he say that about Kairi's mother? Whereas his mother's intentions were clear in that she truly seemed like she wanted a relationship for the sake of being with her son, Kairi's mother was different. While he had not spoken with her, based on his observances and Kairi's talks about her, it seemed as if she kept ties with her for selfish reasons only. And as Kairi was mentioned repeatedly in the media, she seemed more interested in her daughter.

His insides twisted, thinking about how Kairi knew how selfish it all was and still was willing to take anything she could because she wanted to know her mother so much. Stretched with worry, he looked over to Momo. She was watching Shoto very closely, ignoring the show they had been watching.

"You're worried," she asked.

"About the stuff online?" he said, knowing exactly what she was talking about and choosing to ignore it. "Of course I am, I hate the way they're speaking about her."

"No, I mean I know you do but... it's more than that. Like you're worried about that phone call."

"I'm worried about her," Shoto restated, gesturing in her direction. "I have no idea who is on that phone call. I don't know who she's talking to. It's probably her father."

"She doesn't jump up that way when her dad calls," Momo said. "She would say 'It's my dad, I have to take this.' She wouldn't leave the room as quickly as she did. Besides that, she told us this morning her dad's been in a heavy work zone because he found a snag in the current kidnapping case that may have just broken it. It wouldn't be him." He drew back, defeated by Momo's correct analysis of Kairi and her actions. They had grown quite a bit closer throughout the preparation for the cultural festival. A part of him tightened, fearful of his best friend status being threatened.

"Another press call, maybe?"

"She would have hung up and then thrown her phone across the room."

"Another friend." Momo held her arms out in front on them, emphasizing the length of the couch."

"They're all literally right here." Words stiffened in him.

"Momo, I-"

"Kairi is a private person, and she has her secrets. That's fine, I don't care that she has them. But, judging by your expression you know who's on that call and you're concerned about it. That makes me worried as well." Shoto nodded in response, looking back over at the steps.

"I can't believe my little girl took down an illegal medical practice!" Tabitha shouted happily again. Kairi drummed her fingers nervously across her desk.

"Yeah..." she chuckled. "Though I'm not so sure you can call it much of a medical practice when some of their methods were... well malpractice. And I had help, remember. In fact, we were really screwed til the others showed up."

"Still, I'm not too happy that school allowed just you kids into the building. They didn't even send one with you?" Kairi gulped.

"It was... best for the plan. They underestimated us." She parroted the same thing Aizawa had told her to say.

"Now tell me, this boy that was with you, that's the... Todoroki kid, right? Your friend?"

"Yes..." Kairi crawled onto her bed, pulling into her lap the green teddy bear Shoto had won for her at the festival. Her spirit warmed remembering it.

"He's quite handsome!"

"Mom, seriously..."

"I'm just saying if there's anything between you, I mean..." Her voice held too much peppy playfulness. She was far too enthusiastic about the idea. Embarrassment fluttered through her. Then sadness took her down, clearing her mind as she thought about how badly her mother seemed to want her to date someone. Because that's what the normal thing would be. That's what normal girls do. She poked at the ear of the bear. "That would be great, right? Dating someone in your own class with your own goals? Someone who is already aware of your strengths and weaknesses, who can work beside you and be your partner not just in life but also in heroics?"

"I mean, I guess..."

"And dating someone who is essentially hero royalty! Those are some great connections to have!" Her mind snapped, mind flashing with her mother's true intentions behind all the question.

"Mom, we're not dating! He is my best friend and I care about him very much but there's nothing between us and there will never be!" she spat.

"Uh... okay, I just thought that maybe you might... I mean it would give you so many opportunities." Legs shook as the anger flowed through her – the poor teddy's head twisted in her fist.

"Do you realize you just gave yourself away with that sentence?"

"What... do you mean?" Kairi smirked. Playing dumb.

"First of all, what makes you think that by remaining his best friend wouldn't give me the same opportunities as dating him?"

"I guess it does, but..." There was a gentle tap at her door.

"Kairi?" came Shoto's familiar voice from beyond the door.

"In a minute!" she shouted, covering the phone quickly. "Second, is my dating him really about connections and network?! So it's transactional and meant as a means to an end?! Not about two people genuinely caring about each other and instead you just want me to use him?!"

"Of course not, honey, I am pointing out-"

"And third, and most importantly, you said he was hero royalty, right? Let's talk about what that means for you. You only call me when something big happens and I'm involved. Are you finally telling people in jolly old England that you have a daughter in Japan just because I'm famous? If your daughter was dating the famous and well-loved Shoto Todoroki, what would that mean for you? You would become a celebrity by proxy, correct? You want me to date him, because of what it would mean for you! You're already loving the attention I'm getting, but imagine the attention if I was with Shoto Todoroki!"

"Kairi, do not jump to conclusions!"

"You don't need to have a quirk to be perceptive, Mom!" Kairi screamed.

"You know, I called you to tell you how proud I was of you, but I guess even if you're a hero you still act like a hero."

"Mom, I-"

_Click._ The door tapped again and Kairi pressed her phone to the top of her bed. She slid off the covers and moved slowly towards the door, pulling it open. Before her stood Shoto, as she expected. And beside him was Momo, looking over his shoulder with a concerned expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"'I'm sorry she really wanted to come with..." Shoto said. Kairi opened the door wide, stepping aside to allow them inside.

"Yeah it's... no, actually..." Kairi began. Momo sat in her desk chair and elegantly crossed her legs. Shoto casually sat on her bed, fidgeting with the ear on her stuffed elephant. Kairi sputtered as she paced across the room. Her conscience grew heavy on her, pleading that it was time to be honest. She looked over to Momo, patient and concerned eyes staring back at her. She pursed her lips before breathing.

"Okay. You deserve to know."

"To know what?"

"Momo... I... still talk to... my mother." She waited. Momo blinked, quickly.

"I'm listening." Kairi walked back across her room. She sat on the edge of the bed, right next to Shoto. She looked over to him, as if asking for some encouragement. He placed a warm hand against her back. It tingled and flowed through her, as if he had given her some power of confidence. Another breath, and Kairi finally told Momo everything


	57. Dropping a Bomb

"Three this morning," Shoto said, standing beside Kairi before the open door at the entrance. They waited in the entryway, staring out at the few paparazzi who hadn't given up yet. While the rest of the press and the world moved on from QuirKey, there were still those few persistent ones who lingered. Kairi nodded, pulling up the hood of her lavender sweatshirt. Mid-November, the chill was sailing through.

"Do you need my driver again?" Momo asked, standing behind them. Her phone was waiting in her hand, fingers hovering over the buttons. Kairi shook her head.

"No..." she said. "I can handle three. I utilized your driver all last week, Momo. I need to accept this how life is going to be. Being a part of UA was already an Insta-Famous recipe. My quirk draws attention so throw that in the blender. Oh, and also, I am responsible for bringing down an illegal medical facility. In a less than responsible way soo... reap what you sow I guess."

"We're walking with you," Tsu said, stepping behind them as well. Kairi took in a deep breath. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and stepped down from the threshold of the door.

Kairi bent her head to avoid a picture being snapped of her face. The obnoxious cries for to look their ways splintered together. She covered her ears, trying to drown out the clash of their desperate pleas. Shoto slowed his walk to match hers while Momo stayed close behind her, to prevent any shots from behind. Tsu walked on her other side, sweeping up her hand and clenching tightly. A reminder that she was there, and not alone. Kairi peered around the side of her hood, giving her a grateful smile.

Yuga ran on ahead of them, stepping in front of each camera shoved in her face.

"Am I not so very handsome?" he giggled. He posed dramatically, displaying a surprising affinity to change between poses very quickly. "Surely your social media and press coverage would much enjoy photos of this, _non_?" He turned to wink at Kairi. She warmed with pride, a slivered tear rolling down her cheek. Her chest inflated, filling with such affectionate warmth for how her friends were shielding her from something they knew she hated so much. Sure, this may have been normal behavior for Yuga – he valued himself highly. But there was something deeper in his call of attention this time. Embraced by all their love, it was nearly impossible for her to cower in her self-consciousness.

Izuku and Uraraka joined in, running in front of her to cut off any good shot they could have gotten. Between her friends that literally circled her, and the hoodie that hid her prominent blue streak in her hair, there was no possible way any picture they had taken would be usable. Knowing so many people were by her side to defend her, even with the noise of the begging photographers, it was hard to feel so sheepish and scared. How could she be? Things were finally coming back to normal. She was finally truly believing she had friends, lots of them, who had her back through everything. Life was good. For the first time, she felt she could say that. Life was really good. If the only issues she was to deal with now would be anything regarding her feelings for Shoto, she could handle that. Kairi squeezed Tsu's hand tightly again, halfway towards the school.

"Hey, why don't you idiots take pictures of something decent for a change instead of harassing weak heroes who aren't your time?!" Bakugo pushed aside those surrounding Kairi, pushing aside a camera that was trying really hard to weasel between Tsu and Kairi. "It's been over a week, don't you think you got your damn photos by now?" Bakugo had mostly avoided Kairi since QuirKey, but he hadn't gone out of his way to insult her and it felt... different. Like he was really trying to not be so rude. It was hard to believe that he wasn't trying to be nicer to her, in his own Bakugo way. Pushing that camera felt like it truly was a favor he was doing for her. Kairi smiled a little at him. He rolled his eyes and kept on moving forward, catching up to Kirishima ahead of them.

They reached the school and split off once safely inside. Kairi pulled down her hood and shook her hair into place before running off to put her things away. She took a last look at her phone, reading through some of the news updates for the day. Nothing about them, thankfully. But there were some stories about follow-ups from the subjects of QuirKey.

"Anything new?" Shoto asked. Kairi's pulse jumped and his cringe mirrored her surprise.

"Oh! Shoto, don't..." she gasped, playfully slapping against his arm. He smirked.

"I'm not sorry."

"Yes, I _know_," she scoffed, and then shook her head. "This is just a report on names of some of the recipients. The others refused to be named or were minors. But it assures their progress is being tracked about how their quirks are developing. It ends with the statement that police are going through the medical records to try and follow up with everyone QuirKey – or whatever it used to be called – 'treated' over the years. They want to see how much damage was done and what they can do to fix it." While she spoke, he leaned against the row of lockers and looked down on her with a glinting fondness. Kairi's heart leapt and she turned back down to her phone, growing warm again.

"Great things happen when you listen to your emotions sometimes, Kairi. This is evidence of that."

"Y-yeah, I mean... maybe in some ways." A blip on her phone.

_Going to be a big day! Following up that major break through on the case today! _-Dad

_Yay! Good luck and be careful! _\- Kairi

_Got a great team with me, as always! I'll be fine! (thumbs up)_ – Dad

She tucked her phone away and the two of them walked beside each other towards their classroom.

"I just want to remember that, is all. I know there's been all this talk about controlling your emotions enough to follow logic, knowing when to choose logic and when to follow your emotions," Shoto said.

"Logic would have helped me to execute the mission properly," Kairi reminded, dropping her bag at her desk and setting her phone to silent.

"While true," Shoto said. "Remember how fixated you were on QuirKey and people kept telling you to leave it alone? But something about it bothered you. You had a hunch, you felt it in her your gut, your intuition, whatever you want to call it. It was in your emotions, you just got this feeling. You couldn't let it go, and this is why. You knew something was wrong, you just felt it. It's..." The way he continued on, face alighting while he rambled. It was slightly uncharacteristic. While Shoto was a little more expressive and talkative around her versus anyone else, he couldn't seem to stop now. His grey eyes lit with marvelment. She bit her lip girlishly and folded her hands on her desk, watching as she twirled her thumbs.

"It's... not that amazing, really..." she mumbled, shyly. Her chest billowed with a strange bouncing joyful shyness. Feeling small and unworthy of such praise, but also frolicking in the way it felt, coming from Shoto's awe.

"It's far more powerful than my own quirk, in a different way. Probably more helpful than-"

Aizawa entered and the rest of the class scrambled, hurrying to take their seats. He cast a stern gaze across the class, assessing that everyone was where they were supposed to be. Class went on, and he began his usual announcements. Relief drifted onto her, as they felt back into a normal routine. No more warnings or reminders from things that had occurred recently. Just an overview of their itinerary for the day, answering questions. No one glared at her. Even Bakugo behaved. All were mostly quiet and civilized in their classroom. And while her chest thumped whenever she stole a look to Shoto, there was little disturbance in the class. Maybe they were truly becoming used to how she was feeling. Or maybe it was because of how calm she was, how content she had become. Or maybe she was actually starting to find some control.

"Mr. Iida, what sort of devices do you see the poet making in the fourth stanza?" Mr. Ishiyama asked politely as they poured over a poem.

"Sir, the author is using personification to address his quirk!" Iida proudly stated.

"His quirk? Are we certain it's his?" Jiro raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Jiro?"

"No, Sir. We cannot assume the speaker in the poem is the same as the author. While we can assume the author is drawn experiences from his own life for the poem, we should not treat the narrator as if it is the author speaking."

"Very good, Jiro!" Ishiyama smiled warmly. "Could anyone tell me what the personification of the quirk does?... I'm sorry, Miss Hagakure. Is your hand up?"

"Yes!" cheered the voice from the empty school uniform. "Mr. Ishiyama, the personification helps draw attention to the quirk as if it is a real being, causing a great burden to the autho- I mean, narrator! Sir!"

"Precisely! And notice the alternation language between love for the quirk and how the narrator also despises the quirk. We must remember the balance of relationship with have our quirks. They are useful, powerful. They, of course, are what help to make us heroes. But they can also be a detriment. They can be-" The phone on the wall trilled wildly. Several students sat up, startled by the rare cry from the phone. "Oh, I apologize. Pardon me students, I will be just a moment." Ishiyama calmly made for the phone, reaching it halfway through its third ring. He politely held it to his ear, smiling. He spoke into it before frowning and then turning towards the wall. Kairi sat tall in her seat, peering over the heads of some of her students. She looked to Momo, who pursed her lips worriedly. Tsu shrugged. Shoto asked her a question in his expression, one she didn't catch. Ishiyama abruptly slammed the phone down.

"Miss Hoshino, it is strongly recommended you step out into the hallway and call your father. Urgently, if you would please." Her chest slammed forcefully. The class spun to look her way as she shot up from her seat.

"Uh, Oh... okay," she whispered, snatching her phone from her bag and running out of the room. She didn't catch the door and it slowly fell back, remaining open a crack as she disappeared in the hallway.

Shoto's spirit cracked. He held his hands against his lap obediently as Mr. Ishiyama struggled to find his place again, while his attention kept going to the door. He was concerned. Something serious was happening. Shoto scratched at the fabric on his pants before pulling his fingers into fists. His skinned drummed out a beat as it followed the pace of his nerves, growing in intensity as each moment paced. Kairi wasn't even in the room, and the atmosphere was different. Darker, heavy. He looked to Momo, who had fallen pale and she could not keep her attention from the door. Tsu frowned. Yuga restlessly tapped his foot. Izuku kept leaning over his desk to look over at the door. And the others still shifted nervously. She wasn't there to affect their emotions, but they were still affected. By their care for her. By their worry. Even Bakugo didn't appear to be able to sit still.

And then a scream split through the hallway, followed by a chorus of sobs.

"Dad?" Kairi asked meekly, pacing infront of stretch of window. She tugged at her hair anxiously. When the phone stopped ringing, a heavy breathing came over the other end, and a strange hollowness echoed in the background.

"Riri..." gasped a voice that _sounded_ like her father.

"Are... you... okay?"

"Kairi, I... the plan got a little... messed up."

"Messed up? What plan, what do you mean?"

"You know... the lead on the case. Well, we were right and let's just say things didn't go as planned, and uh..." A vice wrapped around her body. She froze.

"Wh... what do you... Dad, I... I need an explanation!"

"I don't want you to worry I got a great team that's working on getting me out of this right now... but I'm not going to lie, it's kind of scary right now and on the slim chance my team doesn't uh... you know. It will be fine, I'm sure. You know how good they are."

"Dad you're not making any sense!"

"I'm just saying if this goes pear-shaped well... I was given a short amount of time to talk to you so I guess I just got to say..."

"DAD!"

"I love you and I'm proud of you. I'm being told I have to hang up now."

"Dad...? Why are you...?"

"Good-bye."

"_DDDAAAADDD_!"

The flood of sobs burst from her as she stared at the empty screen on her phone. She frantically pressed at the buttons again, but was left with a voicemail. His phone had been turned off. Everything in her swarmed, unable to settle. Crying, clawing to get out. Confusing swept across her, unable to land. What was happening? He was simply going to question someone today? Right? Wasn't that it?!

The scream drew Mr. Ishiyama's attention and he motioned for the class to stay before he ran out. The wall of emotions struck him when he entered the hallway. He crouched before Kairi, hands pressed against the sides of her head. She had pressed herself against the wall, eyes darting around as they looked for a place to settle.

"Miss Hoshino...!" he gasped.

"No... No. No. No. He was just... questioning. No, I can't... Ishiyama what is... where is... My dad he's... I don't know what..."

"Miss Hoshino, is your father in trouble?" His voice was gentle and direct. Gleaming eyes raised to him before she slowly nodded. Her lip tremored, holding aside her emotional combustion. "Okay. I am going to send out a couple of your friends, and you and them may be dismissed for the day. I shall notify some of the Pro Heroes to help out your father, and I will follow up on whatever is happening."

"Th... thank you..." she gulped. Inside, she could feel everything grating against each other, collapsing before expanding out. A rumbling wave escalating, slamming through her as she begged to burst. She sunk into the floor, drifting, dropping away from reality. Life disconnected. The hallway surrounded her, no longer around her. Truth was slipping away and cold floated in. It couldn't be real. It felt impossible.

She was barely aware of Ishiyama quickly running back inside the classroom.

"Mr. Todoroki! Miss Yaoyorozu!" he called out urgently. The two students rose from their seats, giving their full attention. "You're dismissed for the rest of the day. Take your things, don't forget Miss Hoshino's, and take her back to her dorm. Make sure she is safe and keep your eyes on her."

"Is Kairi okay, Mr. Ishiyama?" Momo asked quietly as their teacher pulled the phone on the way back to his ear.

"I'll let Kairi explain. The rest of the class, please take a brief recess and talk amongst yourself for a few moments while I sort some things out." Soft spoken discussions began, curiosity teeming between them while Momo and Shoto collected their items as fast as possible. Shoto swept Kairi's notebook and utensils from her desk before picking up her bag. The two of them hurried out of the room before finding Kairi huddled against the wall. Her breaths were stretched and heavy, face glistening with sweat. A force pushed through Shoto, burning his feet. Momo shut the classroom door behind her while Shoto slammed against the ground, reached out for Kairi's shuddering form. The hallway was weighted with an emotion so distrustful, so sickening, he couldn't recall many moments Kairi had that where this... intense. As anxiety coursed through him, he pressed his hands to either side of his best friend's face, observing the sorrow laced in her expression. His chest ached with frantic worry.

"Kairi, what's happened?" he asked.

"Dad..." was all she could get out, before her throat clogged with cries again. Her sorrow ripped at him. A want greater than he had ever known had formed. A need, even, to solve whatever was going on. To fix it. To stop the tears, to make her happy. But he was pained with the frustration of not knowing how or even if he could.

"We need to get her out of here," Momo said. While she was calm, her voice was strained with grief, and she trembled with indecision. Shoto nodded and pressed an arm against Kairi's back.

"We're going to take you back to the dorm, all right? You need to get up."

"I n-need... my dad. Shoto I'm not sure... he wouldn't..." Her throat tightened and she swallowed to moisten it. "I don't know what's going on!"

"We're going to figure it out. Ishiyama said he's going to figure out what's going on. Can you get up?" Slowly, her head motioned, indicating yes. Shoto pulled at her arm, guiding her as she moved in slow motion. Once on her feet, she wobbled. Shoto kept a hand in the center of her back, a reminder that he was there. Too inside herself, Kairi didn't notice the action.

"We'll stop by the lockers first," Momo said, keeping in step with them.

"It's okay, I can unlock it," Shoto assured, walking close beside her. Through stumbling breaths and sputtered words, Kairi managed the gist of the phone call she had with her father. It didn't make any more sense to them than to her, but Momo was already sweeping through her phone for information.

"Do you know what assignment your father was working on before this?"

"He was, erm... he was investigating ah..." She sniffled.

"Slowly, take your time," Shoto said as they walked.

"A kidnapping, I think. Reopened it. Went unsolved three years ago. Shelved." Her body buzzed and yet also felt numb, tired. "He simply said they had a lead that could break it. He couldn't tell me more... Confidential. I don't know what was going on."

"Here!" Momo said, expanding a link. "Live coverage!" She tapped at the screen and a live stream of news played, an aerial shot of a non-descript house surrounded by several police cars and officers.

"_... the current scene where an officer volunteered to try and negotiate with the captor. Upon entry, he reported to his team the presence of a homemade bomb in the vicinity, and the captor promised to blow them up if any hasty movement was made. The bomb squad has been dispatched as Officer Hoshino covertly tried to speak to his team. The last known communication we have record of is of the captor allowing Hoshino to call his daughter to tell her he loves her while she is at school. If you recall, his daughter is one Kairi Hoshino of UA High School. Since the phone call, there has been radio silence on his end, but it is believed he is still unharmed."_


	58. Family Heroes

"_THERE'S A BOMB?!_" Kairi bellowed around the hallway as they guided her towards the lockers. "My dad is _STUCK WITH A BOMB?!"_

"It's going to be okay, the bomb squad is coming," Momo said, her voice cracking.

"But they could... he... I... what if..." Her sentences were breaking again. Breaths hurt as she took them in and that emotional vice caged her. Steps felt wrong, distant. Kairi tripped over her feet and slammed against the lockers. The lighting bit at her skin and her eyes refused to focus on any one thing. Lights streaked. Colors swam. Every limb ached with stiffness.

"Kairi!" Shoto called, grabbing her before she fell onto the floor. Momo launched forward, taking her friend's body as well and helping to keep her stable.

"Get to her locker," she said. "I have her." Shoto nodded and ran the door he knew belonged to her. In a swift motion, he retrieved a book and her sweatshirt and they were hurrying away from the school. Thankfully, paparazzi weren't hanging around at this time. With assurances to Kairi that they were beside her and wouldn't leave her alone, they helped her to the dorm as quick as possible. Momo was already working on making a cup of tea while Shoto sat with her on the couch, clutching her hand as tight as possible.

"I have to get over there!" Kairi screamed. "I'm a hero! I can do something!"

"No, Kairi. The officers are there and Ishiyama made it sound like he might be contacting the Pro Heroes to help."

"_I'M A RESCUER_!" she screamed, bolting up into a sitting position.

"Yes, yes you are..." Shoto said calmly. Inside, he could feel himself shaking, taking down by a heavy sorrow and fright. It was strange, the deepness of this... aggrieved desperation. This energetic fear. It had been similar to things he had felt as a child, watching the way his father treated his mother. But it was different. Seated. An urgency to run and do something, engage and fix it. Logic reminded him they couldn't do anything, and anything they did do might be disastrous. While fear ravaged through him, anger pulsated. He needed to jump in and fix it all. Fix it for her. Save Mr. Hoshino. But logic rang through him. They couldn't. Any attempts could damage things. They needed to live it to the experts and they needed to trust. "Kairi, we can't."

"It's _MY DAD! _You don't know what it's like to have a father who loves you, how would you know?!" The response tore against Shoto. Rage boiled and stirred him up, ready to scream at her for such a terrible thing. He filled his chest with a deep intake of air, and then pushed aside that emotion. Normally, she never would have said such a thing. And this heaviness she involuntarily pushed onto him... it was making him want to shove her aside, yell at her, walk away. But his heart, thankfully, was stronger than all of that. This was the damage she had always been afraid of. What her quirk could do. Very easily, he badly wanted to give into this emotion. The cut of her words was brutal and all of the misery he was experiencing was making him not want to care about her own feelings. He recognized it all. These weren't her words. These were the words of fear. He looked back into her eyes – and was met with an insistent desire that covered everything he felt. Everything that she reflected onto him. Strange, that he had come to care for someone so much it had make him look past all his other emotions, real or not. He wanted to shield her from everything that could damage her. He wanted to pull her from the burning flames of misery. He wanted to hold onto her, never letting her go. The urge to protect and walk alongside her was stronger than it had ever been with anyone. The want to be beside her, shield her, it had become a need, a necessity. His own feelings had won out against her own, and he was unable to deny what they really were.

"I don't," he replied simply. "But I know you're afraid. I know you're angry. And I know how... terrible you feel right now. I understand the need to just charge in and protect. But Kairi – the position your dad is in needs people trained for this position. We can't help him. The best way to help him is to stay behind." Momo was setting a mug in front of Kairi, but she ignored it, thrashing instead against Shoto's hold.

"No! I can't accept that!"

"Kairi, please just..." Momo tried. Kairi slapped away her hand.

"NO!" Shoto pecked out a message on his phone.

_Are you aware of the hostage situation on the far east side of town? _– Shoto

_Yes. Heading over there with Eraserhead, Gunhead, Snipe, and Thirteen now. Officer Hoshino, your friend's dad?_ – Enji Todoroki.

_Yes. _– Shoto.

_We're going to get him. That's a promise._ – Enji.

An unfamiliar thankfulness sailed through him and he returned to grip Kairi's hand again. The motion surprised her and she jumped as if startled.

"They're on their way. My father. Eraserhead, Thirteen. Gunhead and Snipe."

"What... what..." Defeat weighed her down. The frantic spiral within her was settled, admitting its inability to do anything. Shaking fear and acceptance of the responsibility composed her. She fell back into her seat rigidly and tightly squeezed her fingers together. She rolled her fists into the other and simply remained. "What do we do now?"

"We wait," Momo answered, sitting on the other side of her. "We let the professionals do their job. We trust in the Pro Heroes. And we sit with you." Gently, she brushed her hand across her friend's arm. "For as long as you need."

"Is there anything we can do to help the time pass while we wait for updates?" Shoto asked, brushed aside a piece of her hair. "Anything at all?"

"Nothing will distract me," Kairi said, finding a moment of calm in her chaos. She looked between the two of them. Confusion turned its head as something didn't make sense. "I don't understand. How are you two not a mess? My feelings are... maniacal right now, how are you not... also losing it?" Momo frowned and shrugged, as the answer were clear.

"We are," Shoto replied. "At least, I am. I can tell you're... nothing makes sense. Everything is every direction. It feels like things are toppling and this isn't real. You feel like you've plunged into the darkest depths and you're fading, but also pushing to get out."

"Yes!" Kairi agreed, eyes wide. "But how are you not...?"

"Because we care less about our own feelings and more about your well-being," Momo explained. "Even if our 'own feelings' aren't truly ours. Recognizing it's not actually ours helps. Todoroki and I have learned how to dissociate our feelings from yours. Admittedly it is rather tough when it's this strong but..."

"You're our priority right now. How we feel doesn't matter." A stray hand lingered on her shoulder, one finger raised to trace the line around her jaw. He withdrew immediately, mentally cursing himself for testing affectionate gestures at such an inappropriate time.

"What does that... mean?" Kairi asked, as her confusion deepened.

"Well, focusing on how we feel and how the situation affects us... doesn't that seem pretty selfish?" Momo asked. "If we did that, we really wouldn't be good friends would we?"

"You mean you're... choosing to ignore the effects of my quirk?" Kairi asked, looking between them.

"We're aware that it's there for certain but," Shoto jumped in, nodding. "I guess it's... easier to look past it when we're putting you before ourselves."

Awe snapped in Kairi. Shoto constantly put her before himself and while it never stopped to amaze her and always left her feeling timid and embarrassed, it wasn't as if it was a new thing. Momo, while she had always been there and had helped her... it was the first time she was beginning to truly see how deep their friendship ran. Slowly, she shifted her body and looked straight on at Momo. Even she? She seemed to also break through whatever it was that made her quirk keep others away. She stayed, and here she was. As Kairi's world fell apart, she remained beside her. She was ignoring how she was feeling. Despite how the quirk was effecting her, despite how damaged she must feel from all of it. She had been willing to leave the class with her, no questions asked and stay. For her.

Another rush of tears flowed from Kairi then. She fell against Momo, clutched onto her tightly. Momo pressed her friend's head to her shoulder, stroking her hair carefully. Tears pushed out of her too, falling onto Kairi's head. Shoto extended a hand to rub Kairi's back. The three of them sat like them; the two girls crying silently. Shoto sitting beside the two of them. In the silence, they waited and cried.

Momo played the live coverage throughout the hour. Most of it was repeating everything they already knew, and not much happening. The Pro Heroes turned up and there was some discourse and discussion amongst the cops. Shoto got up once to make tea again, this time for all of them. Kairi and Momo remained, holding onto each other tightly as the reporter's voice filled the background.

"What's happening?" Kairi whispered.

"Just, more talking it seems," said Momo, tilting the phone to her vision.

"I wish I could hear what was going on..." Kairi whispered. Her body had grown used to that feeling of startled dread, almost becoming numb. "Dad, it's a moment of life and death. Please use your quirk..."

"Wait, wait..." Momo whispered, holding the phone up for the both of them to see. Shoto ran back over to the couch, clutching three cups of tea. "Endeavor and Snipe... they look like they're... Oh and Eraserhead is with him. And there's Thirteen as well." The image of the feed still showed aerial footage, but Endeavor's form could be seen coming around the side of the house. Snipe followed close by with Eraserhead beside him. Thirteen quickly caught beside them, but they seemed to moving slightly, to avoid noise. They paused for a moment as if discussing.

"What are they doing?" Kairi impatiently hissed. "Go in there and save my dad!"

"Hold on, they're... discussing tactics," Shoto said, joining them on the couch again. His hand searched for Kairi's and she took a hold of him, quickly. The group kept out of sight of the windows, meanwhile Snipe took a calculated stance. A hand raised his gun and the footage caught the sound of his firing. That was when everything seemed to happen all together. As soon as Snipe fired, Endeavor blasted a torpedo of fire into the house. After the side of the house caught in an eruption of flames, Thirteen and Eraserhead plunged through the wave of flames, disappearing into the house. Kairi drew herself closer to the phone. The pounding inside her was ready to leap from her chest as the tension grew. There was a quiet bursting sound. Kairi remained still. Snipes followed inside, while Endeavor ran around to the front of the house.

"_I'm getting reports that it sounds as if the Officer Hoshino has been shot in whatever scuffle is happening..."_

"DAD...!" Kairi squeaking, her body awakened by fear again. Momo kept a tight arm around her, while she shuddered in her embrace. Several long moments absent of noise. Nothing but a gentle shadow from the flames that took over the side of the house, and sirens from a from a fire truck. Her ears burned with the echo of her nervous heart. The front of the house exploded, doors splitting as a leg kicked through. Eraserhead was the first to emerge, having destroyed the entryway into the house. And under his arm was an uniformed man, clutching at his side. The aerial camera zoomed in as much as possible – enough for Kairi to recognize Naoko Hoshino. He was coughing and struggled to keep up his walk – but he was alive. She ripped the phone from Momo, holding it close to her.

"Dad!" she cried victoriously. Behind Eraserhead, Thirteen emerged with her own arm helping a younger man out. By his young age, he must have been the one who had been held captive the last few years.

_"It looks as if... Officer Hoshino is hurt but he has made it out with the help of our Pro Heroes! Eraserhead is with him, and the hero Thirteen is behind him with the victim..." _Once they were away from the door, Endeavor ran inside. Two officers ran up to help the heroes with those they had saved, and four others ran through the entry of the house. Two more minutes passed and the fiery image of Endeavor appeared once more. Followed by two police officers holding hands behind the back of a middle-aged man. The other officers stayed close behind. _"Whatever has happened here, it appears as if everyone is relatively safe and the criminal has been captured. We hope to collect more information about what happened here soon. Please join our regular broadcast for further details."_

The stream ended. Kairi let the phone fall onto the ground with a soft thud. Her fear spilled over, relief pushing it out. He did look injured but he had been able to walk with some help – he might be okay. He really might be okay.

"Is he okay? Do you think he's okay?" Kairi asked frantically. Shoto was already pressing at his phone, and then holding it against his ear. He waited, as a musical trill play beyond the call.

"Father?" he asked. "Yeah... We were watching live coverage... yeah. Yes. I just want to know if... okay. Yes. I understand." Shoto lowered the phone, and let out a heavy breath. Kairi looked at him expectantly. "They're taking him to the hospital. He's going to call me from there and explain more about what happened. However, the important thing is – your father was shot. In the side, just above the pelvis, close to the spine. But it wasn't fatal, that was the thing he said to make sure you know. The shot wasn't fatal. Your dad is alive, Kairi."

The sobs broke through. She fled from Momo and collapsed against Shoto, practically pining him against the couch. They were joyful sobs; as obnoxious as they were, her smile echoed through them and slivered laughs wound with them. Her body quaked with an overload of all that she had experienced over the last hour and a half.

"You guys, I can't... I..." Her hysterics had become wheezes. Momo patted her back, encouraging her to take in deep breaths. "I can't, ugh... Uh..."

"Slowly, Riri," Shoto whispered. She glowed, giving him an appreciative smile.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate you being here! To help me through this! To give me anything I need! I never... I had no idea what it was like to truly have friends like you and... you just, you mean so much to me, I...! If you weren't here..." Momo gripped her hand.

"Of course we were here," she told her kindly. "How could we not?"

"If it Ishiyama hadn't told me I could leave," Shoto chuckled, ruffling her hair as she remained laying on top of him. "You think that would have stopped me? I'll always come after you when you need me to. I would never abandon you. I've said that before, and it's never going to change."

Kairi gave him a warm grin, gracious and delighted. The light of the room caught against the glimmering tear stains. He looked down, realizing his pinned position on the couch and reddened. Quickly, he wriggled from the grasp, standing. Shoto's phone buzzed, insistent. He answered on the first ring and pressed the speaker phone.

"What's the situation, Father?"

"Hoshino is... not going to lie. He is in quite a bit of pain. We're just pushed him through emergency now – we had police escorts the whole way so we got him here quick. The kidnapper had used his coercive quirk in order to keep the victim there all those years, it seems. He was trying to use it on him but thankfully, his Mind Reading quirk told him what he was doing. He was threatening to set off a bomb nearby while also holding the victim at gunpoint."

"Okay, but what happened at the scene?!" Kairi pestered impatiently.

"Snipes targeted an attack to knock both the gun and the bomb trigger from the man's hands. It happened so quick, he didn't have time to react. That was when I set the wall aflame to let Eraserhead and Thirteen through. Eraserhead erased the quirk, Thirteen used the black hole to swallow the bomb. In that fraction, the kidnapper picked up the gun and tried to shoot at your father but he only caught him in the side, nothing to hurt him fatally. Eraserhead and Thirteen got them out of there before anyone else could be coerced. They were arrested, and Eraserhead is riding in the same vehicle as the criminal to keep his coercion quirk from affecting any of the officers while they take him to prison. Thirteen and I are here at the hospital with him."

"Can I come?!" Kairi screamed.

"In a moment. Give it some time, settle down a little. I'll notify Shoto when it's a good time for you to come here. For now, I think it's best to rest assured in knowing – he's alive. The best doctors are here, and he wasn't fatally hurt."

"Thanks," Shoto said. "Keep us updated." The phone clicked off just as the door to the dorm opened. They looked up; by the looks of their exhausted appearances and heaved breaths they were taking, most of them had run the whole way over. Tsu pushed aside most of them to hurry over to the couch. She took Kairi's hands and asked in her eyes about the situation. Yuga ran in next, and then Izuku. His phone hung loosely in his hands, showing the ended live coverage of the broadcast.

"Kairi...?" Izuku asked. "Are you...?"

She winced and nodded, a fresh stream of tears beginning.

"Yes..." she squeaked. "He's alive! My dad's alive!"


	59. Cherished Gifts

The wheelchair caught the edge of the box, causing Mr. Hoshino to swear sharply. Kairi hurried in from the kitchen and pushed aside the empty tote, around the decorated tree in the living area.

"Sorry!" she quickly said, making sure a wide path was clear for him to get through. "I told Shoto to make sure the boxes were pushed aside so you could get through. Guess he didn't gauge how much of a berth you would need."

"Don't... worry about it," Mr. Hoshino groaned, finally pushing his way around towards the table. Kairi flew back to the stove, spinning a large spoon around in a steaming pot. "It's temporary anyway. Come January, they said I should be able to walk mostly normally."

"We really didn't need to put up Christmas decorations this year, Dad," Kairi said, reaching over to lower the temperature of another boiling pot beside her.

"No. I won't let this temporary disability keep us from celebrating our traditions," he quickly refusing, reaching for the teapot that had been previously placed on the table. "I'm just sorry I couldn't help. I was able to hang some of the ornaments, at least."

"See? You helped," Kairi said.

"It's sad that Shoto had to leave so soon. Would have been nice to enjoy a dinner with him." Kairi's chest fluttered at his name. She lowered her red face, purposely focusing on stirring the pot in front of her.

The last couple weeks had not been easy for either of them. Her usual laid back father had gotten rather stubborn and frustrated with his inability to be at work and doing what he felt was productive. In addition, there were many things Kairi had to do around the house for him. They were able to acquire a nurse to pop in from time to time; his friends from work were willing to drop by when needed, and the neighbor was happy to help with what they needed. Kairi had been granted a week off school to stay and home and help her father as well as get some emotional rest from it all. But she was quickly back and without her around to help, she had been forced to call in some others to help him out. Once December rolled around, they had an argument about decorating for Christmas. Kairi argued it would be easier to just do without and she would just make them a nice meal; maybe exchange a couple of gifts. That was the moment he broke; screaming at her that he wanted everything as normal as possible. It wasn't like him to get as angry as he did and with her quirk, everything was compounding. So, she relented and decided to do it all herself, as tiring as it might be. And then, when certain elements required someone quite a bit taller than she, Shoto decided to escape his dorm and hang around her house for a few hours in the morning, reaching the high places that Kairi couldn't.

"Blame me then," Kairi sighed, poking at steamed potato before spooning it onto a plate. "I want to find his Christmas gift and I can't very well do that with him here, can I?"

"What are you getting him?"

"No clue!" She pulled a few pieces of chicken from the pan and then scooped a mound of rice from the cooker. She presented the plate before her father and wiped her hands on her apron front. "That's the point of going to the mall with everyone. I've never bought Christmas gifts for people who weren't you. I don't even know what he would like. I know everything about him and yet I don't know if there's any one thing he really likes. Any time I've been out with him and he bought something, it's always been food or necessities, like a toothbrush or something."

"Buy him a snorkel," he said. Kairi spun, eyes cutting into him dangerously. He guffawed, proud of his small joke.

"It's been _months_," she groaned.

"I think it's still funny."

"It's _mean_!" she hissed, balling up a dirty dish rag and chucking it his direction. Still, he laughed heartily, ducking away from the onslaught of dirty cloths.

"I thought he was playing that RPG with you now?" he asked, digging into food she had prepared for him. She brought her plate around and joined him at the table. "Maybe you could get him something for that?"

"Like what exactly?"

"A money card, or something."

"Ugh, that's so impersonal!" He looked up, smiling.

"You sound just like your mother." She stiffened, holding her chopsticks still. Naoko Hoshino grew white, sliding a hand across his embarrassed face. "Ah, no, I didn't... you're like your mother in all the positive and non-problematic ways, Kairi. Despite how bitter I am towards her, she did have some good traits. Otherwise, why would I have ever married her? I just mean in the sense she took gifts very seriously and if she couldn't find the absolute perfect one, it drove her mad. She would never think of just giving someone gift cards or money or a gift set. She had to find that _perfect_ gift."

"How did she do buying gifts for you?"

"I mean, of course I loved everything... except the divorce papers. That was a pretty terrible gift." He chuckled lightly. "But beyond that, just knowing she stressed over it and was determined to find me the right gift, that she cared that much. That was the part that mattered. I didn't like that she stressed over it but... she would say much the same thing. I didn't seem to show much of an interest outside of my family and work, so she was always confused about what to get me. Are you getting anyone anything else?"

"I found a few things, but I'm struggling with others. I found Tsu this plush hat with a cute otter face on it I think she would like. I found Yuga this super shimmery scarf, and it should be arriving this week. And there's a bid online I'm watching for this American McDonald's exclusive toy of All Might and NightEye, back when they first grouped up."

"_Don't _bid too much on that," he warned, waving his chopstick at her.

"Don't worry, I have a limit. But no one had outbid me in four days and it only has twelve hours left."

"Still... be careful."

"Momo and Shoto are the ones I'm struggling with. Momo is hard because I'm... afraid she's going to, erm..." She prodded her food before wincing. "Think everything I buy is cheap?"

"Oh right. That's Yaoyorozu. The wealthy family."

"Yeah."

"She doesn't sound like someone who cares that much, based on what you said. I think I would just try to find something you think she would really like. Don't worry how much it costs."

"Of course, part of this shopping trip is finding stuff for you... so you, Momo, and Shoto I have yet to get." He eyed her suspiciously. "What?"

"You're not stressing about Todoroki's gift because you're trying to say something with it, are you?" Kairi's expression reflected his, also appearing suspicious.

"Well... in a way, I guess? 'Thanks for being my friend, for helping with everything and getting through this year?' But aren't you always kind of saying that with gifts? I mean maybe mine means a little more..."

"No, I just mean..." He chewed thoughtfully, and then waved it away. "Don't worry about it."

"What?"

"No, ignore my thoughts." She threatened him with her eyes.

"What? You are shielding me from something. See, this is the point where I would read your mind if I had your quirk."

"I don't do that to you!"

"I know for a fact you never had eyes in the back of your head and you used your quirk at least a couple of times when I did something wrong!"

"Shh! Okay, so maybe I let the power get to my head sometimes... but I was grieving the leaving of your mother and admittedly not the best parent then!"

"Spiiiiilllll!" He scoffed and sat forward, dropping his utensils on his mostly empty plate.

"All right, it's... clear to me that Shoto is possibly... more than a friend to you." Her gut clenched. "And maybe you're stressing about the gift because you're looking to express that." She coughed, swiping a glass of water and chugging most of it down. He rolled his eyes at the fake sounds of her coughing. "You were a much better actor during the festival. Too believable, even. Which is even more evidence towards my point."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" He sighed, finishing off his plate.

"Sweetheart. Listen. I can feel your emotions. I know what a crush feels like and I have felt it from you at least the last couple of months, if not longer. I know what it _looks_ like when teenagers like each other. I'm a detective and trained to figure things out. Also, you're my daughter and I know you. Do I need to read your mind to confirm everything I already know?"

"No!" she protested, slamming her hands against the table. Her cheeks flowered with bright pink seeing his teasing smile. She slumped in her chair. "Oh, you're... joking."

"Because I wouldn't do that and I don't need to. You're incredibly obvious."

"I am?"

"Maybe not to him, but to me, you are. And it's fine, Kairi. He seems to be a good kid and if anything were to happen-"

"Trust me, it won't. For all the reasons I have presented over the years."

"Even so, I would be fine with it. I would be a little concerned about the possibility of him repeating the way he saw his father treat his mother and how that might carry to you-"

"Oh my god, Dad!"

"But... I don't see that in him. As far as a gift, I'm sure you'll find a good one."

"That was no help at all, so thanks." Her phone fluttered in her pocket and she hurried to fish it out. A text message came through, announcing the proximity of Momo's limo to the house. Kairi shoveled the rest of her food into her mouth and then launched up to her feet. She scurried to press a kiss to her dad's forehead before she began to pull on her boots. From a bag hanging on the doorknob to the closet, she scooped out three bottles and placed them on the table beside his water glass. "Don't forget your medication. I'll do dishes when I come home. You're going to be okay?"

"How much trouble can I get into in a few hours?"

"You? A lot."

"It's fine, if I have an issue, I have four numbers I can call."

"Good. Let me know if you need me to pick up anything."

"Riri, _go_!"

"How many times did you fall off the couch before you gave up and called Todoroki?" Yuga asked as he pranced in front of the hurrying crowds at the mall.

"Only five," Kairi answered quietly, growing warm in her face.

"You could have called us, _ribbit_," Tsu said, lighting shoving her shoulder against her. "We would have helped."

"I know but I needed someone who is tall, and Shoto is among the tallest in class! And that tree my dad bought is seven feet, do you know how much of a bitch it is to get that tree decorated?"

"You couldn't have used a ladder?" Momo suggested.

"Oh but then she wouldn't have had an excuse to call Todoroki over!" Yuga giggled. The storefront for skin care products caught his attention. He floated over to it, gazing adoringly at the aesthetically pleasing setup of the display to pull people in. "Oh, it's a crime to put such beauty in front of me!"

"That stuff is really nice, leaves your skin feeling like the wool of a baby sheep," Momo said. "I have about four containers at home." Yuga looked at her, insulted by his own misery.

"Til we meet again, my friend," he whispered softly to the shop window and followed the rest of the crew towards the stack of escalators.

"Okay, this is where we split, then." Tsu decided. "Food court in one hour?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Kairi looped her arm between Yuga's. "Okay, I'm trusting you, all right? If my gifts are terrible, it's going to be your fault."

"Oh, the pressure!" He laughed. They waved off to the rest of the group and ascended to the top floor. Kairi clung close to Yuga. His soft eyes fell to her, serious.

"The crowds aren't too much for you?" She looked around her, seeing the swift throngs of people as they pushed others aside and moved brisker than they normally were at the mall. The traffic pulled her inside a little, but otherwise her insides remained fine and steady.

"No. This is part of why I wanted to get my shopping done in early December. A week before Christmas I never would have agreed to it but it's not terrible right now. And people don't seem to want to linger which seems to help." They stepped off and began down the long alley of stores. Taking a moment to assess if they wanted to enter a store or bypass it completely. "Maybe Momo would be easiest to start with, though eh..." She teetered in front of one of the more elite clothing stores. "Not here. I have quite a bit saved but not... that much."

"Do not worry, _mon Cherie_," he sang proudly. He bent lowly to kiss the top of her hand. "We shall find that which you seek."

"Yuga, you're too much sometimes. Please don't stop."

"Oh, I never will. That you can trust." Her phone whined again against her leg. Expecting it to be some sort of complaint from her father again about how frustrating it was to get to anything, she chuckled inwardly and pulled it out. However, the notification glinted brightly with Shoto's name, and heat moved her fingers across the screen that much faster.

_I know that things may still be a little hectic and you might even have plans, but I thought I would ask anyway. By chance were you doing anything special on Christmas Eve? I wanted to visit my mother but I think I would like you to come along this time. Maybe when we leave we could stop at a restaurant to exchange gifts._ – Shoto.

Her spirit spiraled euphorically. Wild was her heart dancing with gladness and pumping jitters through her. The giddiness she radiated gave her away, followed by the endeared grin that found her. Yuga watched her with pride, amused by her reaction to any piece of attention Shoto gave to her.

_Of course, I would be honored to accompany you to see your mother. Some food sounds good too. I have no plans, my father and I don't do anything til Christmas morning. Yes, I would love to go!_ – Kairi.

_Perfect. I'll discuss details with you when it gets to be closer. And let me know if there's anything you or your father need help with at the house. I'm more than willing to leave the dorm or skip out on my father_. -Shoto.

_Thanks, but I think we're all right. However, if you have any ideas for what I could get Momo, please send them my way, I am so lost!_ -Kairi.

She tucked away her phone and gave Yuga the most sheepish of grins. However, he appeared to hardly be bothered, smirking from where he waited against the wall. Kairi wound her fingers together and dipped her head, watching her feet.

"Sooo... anything you care to share?" Yuga asked, batting his eyelashes with begging.

"Nothing special." She shrugged. "He just wished for me to join him..." Her words caught. A reminding bell rang in her mind, an obnoxious warning that he might not know. "For dinner on Christmas Eve."

"Ohhh! He asked you on a Christmas date!"

"He didn't," she assured.

"What else could dinner be on Christmas Eve! Oh how exciting!" He clapped excitedly. "Ooh, should we also find you a lovely outfit to wear on this date?"

"No!" Kairi hissed, annoyance clenching her. She relaxed her hands, reminding herself he wasn't privy to the information that made this not a Christmas date. "No. Trust me. I know it isn't. I'm just not sure Christmas is the happiest time for him." Yuga frowned.

"I see, of course. Forgive me."

"It's okay, I understand... and by the way. Is there an issue with my clothes that if I were to go on a date, I would need to buy something nice?" Yuga shrugged once more with mystery, before something else caught his attention and he darted off. Kairi scoffed with insult before running off after him. "Come back here! You completely ignored my question!"

* * *

**We're almost there friends! Next chapter is full of cutesy fluff and after that is the long awaited confession! **


	60. In the Spirit of a Date

**Enjoy the cute fluff!**

* * *

The lobby of the hospital was busier than it had been lately, a fact that Kairi tried to shove aside. She had spent years avoiding the hospital as much as possible and this past year had found her in the hospital more times than previous years combined. Occupational hazard with attending a hero training school, she supposed. While her muscles remained locked, her previous visits to the hospital had made her a little more familiar with the surroundings. The clean smell was still a bit nauseating and the lights still ached her eyes. People were always going to be a struggle with her. But the association with healing and reunion over the last several months had allowed her to relax and find it not so scary. Kairi stood near the corner, clutching her package close to her chest. She adjusted her hold, careful to mind the small three daffodils she carried in a small vase. The doors near her inhaled as Shoto entered. Kairi's spirit warmed at his present and she allowed her smile to be his greeting.

"You're early," he said, hugging a couple of large boxes and balancing a vase filled with several soft pink carnations. Kairi leaned over and quickly took the flowers from him, lest he topple them over.

"I was a bit... nervous."

"You've met my mom before," he reminded.

"I did but it was... brief. And awhile ago." Her chest thundered. It had only been half the truth. Pressure seemed to build on the day, without any knowledge to her why. Something about it felt big and she had spent almost all day thinking of what to wear, how to make herself look good, and then going back and forth over if she wanted to cancel or not. Of course, she couldn't cancel. It was Shoto. She could never do that to him. But the excitable anxiety that built in her caused her to be restless. It was just a hospital visit and friends hanging out for the holidays. What could be so earth-shattering about such a thing? Yet, it meant to world to her. To impress him. To do everything right in front of him, for him. She had practically paced a hole through her bedroom at home that morning. Why was this such a big deal and why had she fretted over everything so much? Of course she liked him, and everything with was a much bigger deal, but why was this so different?

Shoto nodded to the nurse at the desk. He gave him a recognizing smile and turned back to his desk. They walked together towards the elevators. Kairi tapped her fingers on the glass of the vases, unable to fiddle like normal. "So... what is Christmas like in your house?"

"I sleep til eleven," she giggled, flushing red. He cocked a brow at her.

"Really? Even on Christmas you don't get up?"

"Even when I was a kid, I refused. Didn't matter how many gifts there were. I still slept late. After that I make breakfast. It used to be dad would make breakfast, but I've been making it the last three years. I have more patience with cooking than he does. He's okay with simple stuff, but he's generally always in a hurry."

"So what's on the menu tomorrow?"

"Omelets!" she grinned. "With sweet rice and mixed fruit. After breakfast, we would exchange gifts and then watch silly movies on TV. Then we would eat chocolate until we got sick. Sometimes we might play games together."

"That sounds really... nice," he said, a pleasant grin on his face. "My siblings and I sometimes give each other gifts and our housekeeper makes a nice breakfast. Aside from that, I guess we don't do that much. My father has always allowed me to not train on Christmas and that's been his gift."

"I guess that isn't that unusual," Kairi said sadly. "Christmas is only a big deal in my house because of my mother's Western influence. She insisted on going all out for it when I was a kid and now its just become a big tradition for us."

"He doesn't understand the 'big deal that kids these days' make about Christmas," he laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose it's a bigger holiday now than it was when he was a kid. I guess giving you the day off could be kinder than it originally seems."

"Yeah, in a way." The doors to elevator finally opened. Relieved, Kairi stepped out first and then allowed Shoto to go on ahead of her. He moved quickly, barely looking at the numbers on the door before stopping in front of one and knocking.

"Yes?" came a soft voice from beyond the door.

"It's Shoto," he greeted. He waited for the response and nodded his ask to Kairi. She pulled at the handle and the two of them entered the bright room.

"It's so nice to see you!" Rei Todoroki said warmly. Kairi gently dropped the items she was carrying onto a nearby table and remained beside the door, waiting for the appropriate time to address her. Shoto placed his boxes on the floor and greeted his mother with a tight hug as she kissed his forehead. "It isn't too cold outside?"

"It was a little chilly, but not too bad," he said. His mother lifted her silver grey eyes Kairi's direction, extending a hand.

"Come, Kairi. Let me see you." Moving slow, Kairi stepped forward. She lifted her timid eyes and froze with shock as Mrs. Todoroki touched her shoulder. "You look good. I'm so sorry about all the press you've been receiving lately."

"Er... thanks."

"But Shoto says you are the primary reason such a potentially dangerous organization was brought down. You should feel proud of that!"

"I don't know, mostly I just feel like I screwed up." Rei smiled sympathetically, and nodded.

"He mentioned you feeling that way. But I never got any indication that you should be villainized for any of it. People make mistakes, remember that. Even heroes. Your acts that day helped protect a lot of people."

"I guess," she sighed, growing small in her compliments.

"How is your father doing? Shoto said he was in a wheelchair?"

"Uh, yes. Recovery is slow but it sounds as if he will be okay. He's more cranky than anything." Mrs. Todoroki's chuckle was a light musical tone.

"I imagine he would be." Shoto slipped from them, first stopping to pick up the two vases of floors, then retrieving a large box and a smaller box from his pile. He discreetly passed the daffodils to Kairi. He held out the boxes to his mother. "Oh? I get gifts?"

"Of course," he chuckled. He held the carnations towards her, and she took them proudly.

"They're lovely! What a nice shade of pink!" she sang. Rei Todoroki took the vase and set them near the window before she began to pull at the paper on the boxes. The small box was a small container of assorted chocolates, differing shades of brown. While she smiled, the second box seemed to elicit pure joy from her. She opened it, finding a thick and wide blanket. The pattern was small birds and leaves against a vibrant blue background. The fabric was unbelievable soft, as if it had been crafted with the wool of the softest baby sheep.

"I know hospital blankets aren't the most comfortable thing," he said. "I thought you might appreciate this."

"I like it, Sho!" Moisture clung to her eyelashes just as she pulled him in for a tight hug. "It feels so nice, it'll be much better than sleeping with the sheets of sandpaper they give me!" Proudly, Shoto glowed.

She was enthralled with the daffodils Kairi gave her and was equally as excited to give them both gifts. Shock held Kairi when she was presented with a small gift, not expecting anything. They opened them together and while she couldn't stop her heart exploding over the adorable expression of the stuffed dragon in her package, the real treat was the way Shoto's expression lit up. It wasn't the gift itself – they had been a nice and fairly expensive new pair of shoes. It was the attention she had given to him; to laboring over and choosing a gift specifically for him. For noticing his shoes had become worn and he was in desperate need of them. He immediately slipped them on and reached to hug his mother again. Emotion threatened to spill over on his face; light beaming brighter than possibly even the lights above their heads.

Kairi turned and clutched her chest, dampening the frantic flutters that surely were echoing loudly in the room. They visited for nearly an hour. Shoto talked freely with her and Rei would stop now and then to ask Kairi about her own life. The real gift, however, was seeing their interaction. The room filled with a brightness in smiles and joy; the air lifted with bounce. It was similar to the way things felt in her own house when it was just her and her father enjoying each other's company. Yet, it wasn't quite the same. The happiness that exchanged between them was free floating, relieved, and carefree. It was unlike one she had known. The love between them was intense, running wild now that any barriers that may have been between them in the past had finally dropped. With no reservations and any pain between them forgiven, their care for each other was obvious and without shame. Her heart ached. It was unfair to be jealous of him. He had his own issues with his own father. She had a great relationship with her own father. They were the same in having one parent who was terrible, and one who was fantastic. Seeing Shoto warm and energetic from her presence lifted her and stirred up joy. Yet it also brought jealousy. Fearful of upsetting the dynamic in the room, Kairi kept quiet to herself and forced her to think of others. Even so, it was hard to keep a hold of the sourness she felt, when Rei was sweet enough to try and divert the conversation for Kairi could join in.

The hour finished and Rei gave both of them hugs goodbye. Leaving the hospital with a warmer feeling than when she left, Kairi carried her items beside Shoto as they made their way down the bustling and well lit street.

"It's strange," she said, watching her breath billow in the cold. Her eyes followed the weaving strands of twinkling, as the wound between the trees and buildings along the sidewalks before them. "As much as crowds bother them and I hate having to constantly dive out of the way of people who don't seem to notice you're there, I enjoy being around people in public at this time. The lights and decorations and I guess spirit of everything lifts people spirits and puts them in a better mood. Like they're happier and I guess it's nice to see that. It's...a refreshing time."

"Yeah, it does seem like Christmas has that effect. I think Mom was even a little happier this time."

"She really loves you," Kairi said with fondness.

"She does. She seems like she enjoys you too."

"I can't believe she got me something. And something I like too."

"I talk about you a lot." More thundering her chest. Her cheeks flared red.

"Oh. That's nice, I guess."

"Don't act so surprised. You're my best friend, you're a big part of my life."

"Sorry, I..."

"I know, you're new to this friend thing. It's okay, Riri," he chuckled. People walked around them in groups of two, huddled close to one another. Kairi's eyes fell to their clutched hands. Some of them held onto each other casually, still others were a little more insistent on remaining close. Enviously, she bounced her gaze between them. Many were young. Their age, or perhaps several years older. Still, there was the fair share of much older couples mingled between them. Some of them perhaps weren't attached to each other, but spoke with one another as if they were a couple. Even among the crowds, there seemed to be the odd group of friends who were just out having a good time. Panic flipping her stomach, it occurred to her there didn't seem to be a single group of two people who appeared to be just friends.

"Are you all right?" he asked, startling her to face him again.

"Oh it's simply... the crowds," she lied simply. "I might get more joy out of seeing people here but that doesn't mean I'm not... still a bit."

"Let me know if it gets to be too much for you," he reminded, stopping before a busy restaurant front. He laid his hand on the golden handle, staring at it with deep thought. "We can cancel dinner, if you like."

"No!" The pressure of the possibility of disappointing him surged angrily. "No, I couldn't do that! I agreed to this and it's been forever since we've been able to just hang out as just us, I guess. After everything that's happened over the past month, we deserve some time together and just time to relax."

"I was just thinking there's... a lot of couples in this restaurant," he said. Anxiety hung onto his voice. She followed his eyes, seeing that almost every table in the place was seated for two. Dim lighting draped across the ceiling. Many talked happily, it didn't sound to be too obnoxious. Gentle music played in between the spirited conversations. It didn't look too upscale, but the ambiance was a little more than the family sit down restaurant. Affordable fine dining at its best.

"Is this... where we're eating?" Kairi's question squeaked as she tried to push it past her nerves.

"Yeah. While it's busy tonight, it has a reputation for being a quiet restaurant and having a soothing atmosphere. Good food as well, of course. I thought if I was going to drag you out on one of the busiest nights to be out for dinner, I should at least be considerate to you about it."

"Yeah, but... are we going to even be able to find a spot? It looks crazy..." The dark wood paneling and the soft lights on the green and gold décor did have a soothing touch to it. While bold, the aesthetic was also soft. The intention was likely for it to feel more intimate, but it doubled as a gentle backdrop and a less overwhelming experience.

"I have a reservation." She twiddled her fingers together vigorously.

"Uh... reservation?"

"Yeah, I... confess I did it before you even agreed." He touched his neck, a touch of pink rising to his face. "I was... really hoping you would say yes." It was becoming harder to not feel there was something a little more than just him not wanting to be alone with his mother today. Yes, they were friends hanging out but was this normal? For a friend to really go through all this trouble, taking in her considerations and how she might feel, all to plan one night out? When they could have enjoyed dinner at home and just shared gifts? This wasn't something friends did as far as she knew. At least, none of her other friends did and to her knowledge, no friends on TV had. Unless it was an issue of her mother's influence showing her a lot of western television so she was left without Japanese social conventions. Maybe he was just as socially inept as her.

Shivers ran down her arms as she challenging the potential that there was something beyond just friends hanging out. But that was impossible. Unless he truly knew her feelings and was just trying to be nice. If he was simply trying to be nice because that was the kind of guy he was, then she was about to feel disheartened and grossed out by pity being taking on her. As the baffling bonanza of emotions balled up in her, she floated through the door and kept her head down while Shoto spoke with the host. They were lead through the row of tables, being placed in a back corner. Kairi took in the surroundings, suspicion rising in her again as she factored in their proximity to everyone else.

"Did you request a table in the back?" she hissed accusingly. He shrugged with a not so innocent smirk, holding the menu before him.

"I might have," he said. Her chest flew into her throat. Then her eyes dropped to him. He wasn't dressed nearly as fancy as most of the people in the restaurant. But his black jacket was dressier than almost anything she had ever seen him wear, even if it did cover a white t-shirt. And his slacks appeared freshly pressed. She squinted, noticing how nicely his hair laid on his head. It was never unkempt or messy – but it appeared as if he had put extra care in it today. It wasn't like she was underdressed either. In fact, between the two of them, she had put a little more care in her appearance; she wore a green holiday dress, made of velvet with tee sleeves and a cowl neck. The gold belt pulled it all together while the skirt flowed beautifully, stopping just below the knees. Her gold flats were simple, and she had tied her hair back. Her makeup took much longer than usual that morning as she tried different things. It wasn't as if it should have surprised her that he was dressed the way he was, especially when she had spent more time. The issue was, while she would spend a little more time choosing outfits just to go out for coffee with Momo, he wore much of the same thing. She hadn't even known any of these clothes existed for him, or that he knew how to do more to his hair than brush it. Not that she cared but it was... strange.

Under the table, her fingers were practically scratching against each other. Dazed, her head felt light. She floated blissfully. At the same time, her stomach and heart duel for who could be the most erratic. "Are you all right?"

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. It's not uncommon for me to have weird feelings around this time, is all..."

"Okay..." he said doubtfully.

"Thank you for joining us this evening," greeted a princely looking waiter. "Would you be interested in hearing some of the specials for tonight? Or would you like a few minutes to decide on what you would like to order?" Kairi breathed, glad for the interruption. Glowing brightly, she turned to him.

"We would like a few minutes," she asked.

"I shall return in a few moments then, but please... take your time." With another nod, he left the table in their awkwardness.

"Uh, how about we, erm... exchange gifts before we order!" She swallowed, trying to ignore the restlessness inside her.

"Oh sure." He placed a large box and a smaller box on the table. Kairi handed over a square thin package and a small one. Together, they tore at the paper, revealing very different items. First, Kairi held out a light blue sweater – patterned to reflect a panda. Ears on the hood included.

"I told you you didn't have to replace it!" she hissed.

"Well, I did," he chuckled. "I couldn't get the exact one. Sorry it's blue."

"Oh, it's okay, I just care about the ears. The best part!" Under the mess of paper she had just torn, a small hinged box lay in wait. _What did you do_? Her eyes said. Trembling fingers lifted the lid to find a pair of shimmering earring studs in the shape of irises.

"I thought they looked nice. And you hold that iris I gave you this summer in such a high place of honor in your dorm."

"It... reminds me of when we... first really became... friends." Her voice slipped away, taken by her embarrassment. He smirked, nodding.

"That was also part of my thought. I know you don't wear earrings that often but I thought they would look nice on you." If her heart pumped any harder, it would surely burst out of her chest. As confusion fell into her again, a hand flew to her face. Her gaze would drop from Shoto to the earrings, and then back up again. The metal was so clean and shimmery. There was no way they were inexpensive. Her gut twisted as she contemplated the price. He frowned, obviously concerned. A couple nearby turned their conversation to financial worries. Another table some distance from them began to argue about their kids. Her insecurities were manifesting in others. Removing her focus from the inappropriately priced gifts and to the rest of the patrons, anxiety pushed her to move along.

"Uh, my gifts!" she urged, pushed the exposed items back against his hands. He smiled and touched the top of a book. It had a hard and brightly colored covered, but the art was soft and gentle.

"'_You Matter to Me_,'" he read.

"I know it's not the greatest gift in the world," she sighed. Sorrowful defeat made its home in her. "But I know that home can be... difficult sometimes. You're also really hard to buy for but ignore that." He chuckled. "This was a book my dad purchased for me when my quirk manifested and things started to get dicey. It's a children's book so it will only take you like two minutes to read but it meant a lot to me when I was a kid. So I wanted to pass something along. It's not the same version, of course. The one I had didn't have as good of art but the story is the same. It's adapted from a mother's letter to her child, but it's vague enough that it could work for anyone. Friends too." His face as bright as beacon, he passed through each page. His smile grew wider with each look til he could no longer contain himself at the end. He placed the book on the table and looked straight at her. His gaze beheld her so deeply, the edges of reality disappeared around them. Kairi dropped into her seat, growing warm and loose from the intensity of his eyes. The walls of her throat scratched when she struggled to swallow. Her palms moistened the front of her lap when she twisted her hands together. The heat around them caused her to perspire, embarrassingly so.

"Erm, so, you... like it?" she squeaked.

"This is one of the best gifts I have received, Riri. I'll have to find the perfect spot for it in my dorm. Thank you." Gentle and soothing, he spoke. Kairi shivered. Whatever was going on, this simple friend outing if that's what it was... it was dangerous. Never had she thought the atmosphere of Christmas could be so damaging but it was clearly doing something. It was exciting, suspicious, and exhilarating. But it was so scary and horrifying and forbidden against all of her own beliefs. Surely this couldn't go on.

"There's those gloves too!" she pointed quickly to the other gift. "I felt silly just buying that and I remember you saying your gloves don't really do much against the cold." He picked up the pair of finely crafted leather gloves beside them.

"Yes, they're very nice. I'll wear them when I go home tonight." Once again her savior, their waiter returned and they could distract themselves for just a moment. Waiting for their fifteen gave Kairi almost twenty minutes of agony as she tried to figure out what to do with herself; trying to stick to the old topics she and Shoto would often discuss at school or when they hung out with each other in their dorms. Once their food was received, she relaxed. Any moments of sudden embarrassment or the insistence in her thundering heart was silenced by pushing food into her mouth.

Dinner was enjoyable, however it was also possibly the strangest experience she had endured. He knew a lot of details of her life most people didn't just by virtue of being her friend. It wasn't uncommon for the odd personal question to come out between them. But there was a lot of conversation about what she hoped to be, what she wanted to study, if she had thought about where to go when they graduated UA. So many questions about the future, many of which she had no answers to. She said as much, but could not stop doing flips over wondering why. Why this sudden barrage of questions, why this interest in knowing everything she had planned for in the near future. Then there were those looks, the ones that seemed as if he held her right in his eyes. As if nothing else held his interest in the room and he only cared about her. Her pulsed heated apprehensively and there was no stopping the constant red that flared her face. She was mortified and anxious, her heart was erratic and overjoyed. Everything about the situation was overwhelming and she couldn't decide if she was more traumatized or if it was the greatest night of her life.

She froze when he offered to drop her coat around her shoulders just before they left. But fear of how it would look to him and everyone else made her allow him to do so. He slowed his pace to match hers as they gave their thanks and walked out, pausing just outside the door.

"Let me get a rideshare to take you home," he offered.

"No!" she protested quickly. Then she stiffened. "No, it's all right. I can take the bus."

"It's going to take you so much longer plus-"

"I got here by myself. Plus I am doing better on the bus. It's not as scary as it used to me." He nodded.

"That's true but-"

"Please, Shoto. You have already given me an... eventful night. I would feel horrible if I made you stay out later. Let me have this."

"This isn't an argument I am going to win." She giggled.

"No, it won't." He sighed, rubbing his newly gloved hands together and clutching the book to his chest.

"Text me when you get home?"

"Don't I always?" She leaned forward, taking care to give him the lightest of hugs. Touching him any longer after tonight would be brutally abusive to her heart. She closed her eyes at the faintest whiff of his cologne. It seemed a bit heavier tonight.

"You..." he whispered. "You really did look... do look lovely. I mean, you always do but..."

"I get it, dork," she laughed, tapping his shoulder. Passing by him, she threw her hand his direction, waving goodbye. "Bus should be here before too long."

"All right, then..." he said, taking two steps in front of him. His mind clicked with a burst of thought. Shoto spun quickly, watching her disappear between the thinning crowds making their way home. His chest shot out currents that quickened his pulse, energized by his thought. "Kairi! I'm going to pick you up before the New Year's Festival!"

"I thought we were all going to meet there!"

"I changed my mind! Let me have this..."

"Fine!" She shouted out across the crowd. "I'll see you at ten o'clock!"

Shoto smiled, his steps inspired by his newfound excitement. Springing in his steps, he ran to meet his ride.

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**Next chapter: Confession time! :D 3**


	61. New Beginnings

**Take a deep breath... and enjoy, finally... the confession chapter!**

* * *

"Why are you standing there watching like a hungry hawk?" Kairi stared up at her father, propped up on crutches against the side of the house. She waited patiently in the well-worn bench that sat in front of her house, hands pressed together against the elegant fabric in her lap. Mr. Hoshino looked over his daughter, dressed in a _yukata_ made of fine material. The main garment was white, with a few layers of gossamer fabric laid over it, giving it an ethereal flow to it. It was hemmed with a soft red tone, and the edges of the hem, waists, and sleeves creeping with an ombre soft red, pink, and purples. In between the colors were faint insets of floral designs. The _obi_ belt held a more opaque pattern of the flowers and colors. The top inner collar that she wore under the _yukata_ had the same design repeated.

"I'm not used to you dressed so... elegantly. In fact, the last couple months I've seen you more dressed up than your whole life," he chuckled, crossing his arms awkwardly. "One wonders why that is."

"Because I am actually going to events that people dress up for for once in my life?"

"You went to the New Year's Festival with us when we were younger and you never wore a _yukata_ then," he teased. Kairi fingered the fragile hem of her elegant robe.

"Because I was child and I never cared."

"And you cared now?"

"Because Momo wanted me to."

"Ah, I see. So this isn't in anyway related to you wanted to look nice for Shoto?" Kairi reached to fiddle with the hair stick holding up the poorly twisted mess of hair, touching the purple floral charm on its end. She wasn't the best with doing hair, but she had used enough bobby pins to pull up her hair, and then simply stuck in her hair sticks. Having a father who wasn't able to do her hair left her with no one to teach her, and Youtube and Pinterest tutorials always made it look easier than it actually was.

"No. My friends are all wearing _yukatas_ so I decided to."

"And that's why instead of choosing one of the ones you already own, you went for the most glamorous one that used to be your mother's?" She scowled and tapped her foot.

"You know when I'm nervous about things I go overboard."

"So you're nervous about seeing Shoto?"

"Uggghhh Dad! Sttooopp! Look, yes I like Shoto and yes I'm excited to see him but my desire to look nice isn't linked to him at all."

"Sure, all right." She burned with frustration, which seemed to be enough for him to turn away. When the vehicle turned up in front of her house, she zipped from the seat. Overly eager to get away from her twenty-one questions father, she floated off the one step leading to her house. Shoto was stepping out the vehicle, walking up the short ways towards her house.

"Kairi!" he gasped, eyes falling onto her and stopping in his place. Annoyance shot at Kairi, following the sound of her father's voice. She was eager to get going and Shoto was definitely part of the reason why. But it had been years since she had been out for New Year's and she was a little excited to welcome it in not just with her best friend/crush, but her new friends as well. She drug her feet, heading back over towards the door where her father sat. She lowered her head, making her pout prominent.

"I won't keep you long. Remember what I said?"

"No later than 3 am," she sighed. "I understand."

"You call me if you need anything, all right? If anything goes wrong. Rena will be here and I may be on leave, but she can hoe right in the vehicle and run and get you."

"Dad, have you forgotten I am also a hero attending a festival with several other heroes? One of them is a _Todoroki_?!"

"Are you going to continue to use your friend to say 'Do you know who he is?' to get away with stuff?" A brash cold worry ached through Kairi.

"Oh, that isn't what I-!"

"I'm teasing, Riri," he chuckled.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, Rena and her wife are on their way."

"Are they bringing the baby?"

"No, they left him with a sitter. He's crawling right now and with the suckers on his hands and feet, it's a bit chaotic."

"Aww. It would have been funny for a little one to be trying to climb onto your lap," she giggled. He glowed with amusement as he gestured to Shoto.

"Don't keep your friend waiting. He seems stunned in place."

"Oh!" she leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly before urgency took her. "Bye dad!"

"Have a good time tonight, honey!" She rushed back, greeting Shoto halfway down the drive.

He couldn't keep his eyes from looking straight down, examining the flow of the exquisite _yukata_ and the cheery colors that complimented it so well. His arms burned with a need to take a hold of her, lose himself in the golden glint of her eyes and just tell her every emotion that raged through him like a storm. Later, he reminded himself. Now was not the time. Instead he swallowed and pleaded the warmth would fade from his face.

"You continue to surprise me, Kairi," he said, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him back towards the car.

"How so? Because for once I look like a girl and not some child dressed in cutesy clothes?" she laughed. Shoto stepped in front of her, quick to open the back door of the rideshare. She lifted a brow, baffled by the action. But she slipped inside and he went in after her. The two of them waved to her father before turning out of the drive.

"No, I simply didn't know you owned something that... fine."

"It was my mother's, I kinda stole it. All the _yukatas_ I own are simple and considering this is a new kind of outing for me, I wanted something different."

"Well, it suits you. It really does. You're simply..." The words caught in the roughness of his throat. He coughed, forcing down the power of his feelings before they exploded in front of then all.

There was that look again, like in the restaurant a week ago. What was it with him, especially the last month? He had been far more complimentary and every look and touch he gave her was... beyond what she thought friends were supposed to give. None of it breached any area of comfort for her, except that she knew she shouldn't be so gladly receptive of it. The elation she felt would only continue to break her heart over a thousand times, knowing they could never be. She would have to say something, to lie that it was making her uncomfortable. Of course, it wasn't. She loved it, but it would damage her later. In order to protect herself, she would need to set a boundary. She couldn't have Shoto continuing to make her feel like the focal point of his life or the brightest star in his sky when she was just a mere best friend. Nothing good could come from getting her hopes up, even if he was doing it unintentionally. He didn't like her that way, and she would need to accept that.

Alternatively, Shoto was still unclear about Kairi. It wasn't as if he was the most socially in tune kid on the Earth Until over a year ago, he hadn't even tried to have friends. Some things were still a bit strange. Most of his life had just been trying to be powerful enough to get away from his father. But Kairi seemed a little more clueless than him about some things. Not in a bad way, and nothing he blamed her for. But he left him with questions about her feelings. He had expected to know how she was feeling, based on how her quirk worked. But his own affections had grown too strong for him to read past them. The only way to know would be to really ask. And he had been determined to ask for a while. His nerve had been lost on Christmas Eve, but tonight... he had to. It was time to know. Now that the moment was approaching closer, his nerve was becoming wilder, unable to tame. Would he find the courage to say anything?

The ride had been mostly quiet, and he gave his thanks to the driver. He held the door open for Kairi, and she gave him an awkward grin before stepping out. He couldn't stop watching her. The _yukata_ was lovely and draped over her features nicely, but that wasn't it. Her eyes sparkled like the purest amber when reflected against the sun. Her hair shone with a warmth as the lanterns passed over her mocha waves, floral hairpins holding it in place. He beamed with pride at the notice of the iris earrings hanging from her lobe. So she had liked them. They looked lovely on her.

It was the way she moved to quickly move out of the way of others. Because he knew her, it had been conditioned from years of anxiety, fearful of being in any one's way And that was it. Her fear of bothering anyone. Her respect and concern for how she was treating others and regard for their time, livelihood, and personal space. It was impossible for her to not think of others. Part of it was her quirk, but most of it was just her presence; she had influenced others to think of others as well. Him especially. Her heart was incredibly kind, thinking of how to speak properly. And even when she was stepping in to defend those she cared for, she was seeking a way to bring about justice without hurting anyway. That was the part that made her a hero. Not her quirk. Her regard for others, her concern for their safety. And people thought she could ever become a villain? Impossible.

Maybe part of it was because he hadn't grown up much in a household where he was taught to put others before himself, aside from his mother. But he hadn't seen her for years. Kairi had taught him a whole other side. She was ready to charge in when need be. She faced off her worst fears when the threat was dire. She stood her ground and defended her friends. Gods, she was... the most spectacular person he had known. Of course, he never denied she was pleasant to look at but her spirit, her character, enhanced the beauty she already beheld. Listening to the way she put herself down, the way she saw herself... it hurt himself sometimes. And he knew, the years of abuse from peers and the neglect of her mother was the cause. He felt something familiar in her, when she first shared her story. He couldn't not learn more about her. The more he learned, the more he liked learning about her. In return, she saw deeper in him than anyone else ever had.

Tsu and Momo ran to her quickly, greeting her with hugs. The girls had all planned to wear _yukatas_. Momo's was elaborate and made of a pure silk, crimson with silvery embroidery. Tsu was dressed in teal with lily pads splotched over it. Uraraka wore a white _yukata _smothered in bright pink cherry blossoms.

"Is this where all the beautiful people are meeting?" Yuga asked, approaching the group. "Then this is clearly where I belong!"

"Yuga!" Kairi said, launching herself to hug him tightly. She looked at his slim fit black shirt, finely trimmed with a shimmering gold fabric. "You are perfectly right, you belong with the beautiful people."

"I see you came along with Todoroki," he winked, watching Shoto join them. "And he also seems to have taken upon himself to dress nice as well." He was wearing the same nice black slacks again, a tight fitted light blue shirt crafted of a softer material to go with it. Kairi stomach flipped when she noticed his hair again, nicely groomed once more. There was a different part to it as well, as if he had been trying to make some sort of impression. Her soul screamed for help.

"Yeah, you do look _really_ nice," Uraraka said, clinging to Izuku tightly.

"Yeah, but he's not the only one, right?" Izuku nervously asked, running a hand down the front of his white pressed shirt to take care of any leftover wrinkles that might be there.

"Of course not!" she said quickly, her face reddening. "You l-look... you're very well-groomed too, Deku! What is..." she sniffed, appearing pleased. "Is that... coconut in your hair?" He grinned, proudly.

"Come on, let's see what vendors and games they have!" Momo gripped Kairi's hand, pulling her along with the rest of the hurrying group. Shoto laughed and slowly walked behind them, keeping them in sight. He shoved his hands in pockets, thinking about the time as it ticked by. Ten thirty... how was he going to calm his nerves for an hour and a half?

Running down the walkway of games, they waved over to Jiro. She vetoed the _yukata_ idea but did choose to wear a nice shirt with some dark blue dress pants. She was standing beside Kaminari, who was currently trying to get the high score on a ball throwing game. The power behind his last one was too stronger and bounced off the edge, before dropping into the zero slot.

"Seriously!" Mineta cried from beside him. "Come on, man! Move aside and let me show you how talented I am at playing with my balls!"

"Gross," Jiro scoffed. Kairi rolled her eyes.

"Ahh! Girls! I... I didn't..." Mineta dropped the game balls in his hands, gawking at the row of finely dressed girls in front of him. "This. Is the best. New Year's. Ever."

"Please stop," Momo said. Tsu waggled her tongue threateningly.

"You all look beautiful, truly," Kaminari smiled. He faced Kairi. "That color really suits you."

"Thanks," she smiled, quickly curtsying with thanks. Shoto forced himself to ignore the burning inside himself, closing his eyes to avoid looking at Kaminari.

"Hello!" called another voice as it approached them. Enthusiastically, they greeted Iida. "It's nice to see you all here. What a wonderful opportunity for us all to promise to do our best the next year!"

"Did you come with your family, Iida?" Uraraka asked. He nodded.

"Yep. My parents. Hey, there's a food stall of baked goods that Sato is working at just down the way there! I believe Tokoyami was headed that way! Ashido and Hagakure too!"

"Oh yes, let's go there!" Tsu said. The group moved along, Shoto remaining quietly as he hovered near Kairi's side. She looked over at him, he dropped his eyes. The two of them flourished with red. Their communication remained quiet.

The majority of the festivals displays were along one alley, outlined by the bright lanterns and strips of lights. As they moved along, families, children, couples, and friends cruised by them. Some carried festive toys that shone brightly. Others carried sticks of chicken, vegetables, various kinds of rice balls, and pastries. Excitement buzzed around them, but it was hard to tune into it when the back of Shoto's hand burned against her own. It was like they were teasing each other, beckoning for the other to hold hands. But neither one made to do so, so they remained. Awkward and unsure, teeming with a flurry of feelings.

"Hey everyone!" Sato said from behind the vendor stall. He waved to the bulk of his classmates appearing.

"A pleasure to see you," Tokoyami said to the new arrivals. "It's nice to see so many of here to celebrate the death of this tumultuous year."

"And to celebrate the new one!" Hagakure greeted, dressed in an elaborate _yukata_ that rivaled the elegance of Kairi's own. "I can't wait til the fireworks start! I'm having so much fun!"

"Have you seen how many good looking boys came out here tonight?!" Ashido said beside her as she bit into a cupcake. "Never mind, I've completely forgotten. These are to die for as always, Sato!" Sato's smiled stretched between his ears. "You all look great! Kairi, those earrings are magnificent!"

"Thanks, Shoto gave them to me for Christmas!" She looked over to Shoto as she spoke, and he couldn't hide his proud smile.

"Oh really? They're so charming!" Yuga said, leaning over to get a better look. Sato held out a tray of beautiful decorated cookies of stars and moons. The group scrambled for them and when they began to rummage around for money, he held out his hand to stop them. Kairi bit into her cookie, delighted to find it still slightly warm.

They moved along, spying others in their class. Kirishima waved to them excitedly and Bakugo ignored them, as was his usual when he was trying to be polite. Yuga wanted to try to break balloons but he missed by one. They watched Izuku expertly use a small slingshot to break several bottles, and he won a cute stuffed dog which he passed to Uraraka. They all laughed quietly with knowing before proceeding to the next vendor. Kairi quickly annihilated every can in a row, surprising everyone around her. With a shrug, she reminded them it was just a manner of physics and happily accepted the gift card of 25,000 yen for a store she sometimes stopped in.

The group abandoned the games, pausing for a break at a noodle bar, and buying a couple of rice balls and chicken sticks. The end of the year was nearing, and they ate the rest of the food til they were ready to burst. They walked towards the edge of the street and stood with the rest of the waiting crowd along the bridge that overlooked the river.

"Ten minutes," Momo said wistfully. "It's exciting isn't it? A new year?"

"Yeah..." Kairi said, leaning on the edge of the barrier. "It's my first one I'll be going into with friends. So I'm hoping that's a good sign at the next year will be great."

"We're going to make it great, _Cherie_!" Yuga declared. Kairi nodded in response.

Shoto dropped his hand, casually touching Kairi's wrist. She looked up to him, with question in her eyes.

"Why don't we move further down? There's less people over there," he asked. His fingers on her wrist shook. Kairi grabbed his hand, tracing her fingers across his palm. They were moist and clammy. She frowned, concern nipping at her.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Kairi."

"There's a better view here though, wouldn't you prefer that?..." She gasped, feeling his hand again. "Are you getting socially anxious too?"

"I'm fine, it's... I'm not used to joining in New Year's is all..."

"I mean me neither but..." Kairi looked across to her friends, laughing together. Just a few more minutes. "Okay. I agree, I would prefer less people. If you're feeling anxious we can move down there too."

"Do you want us to come with?" Tsu asked. Kairi shook her head.

"No! You guys enjoy the view!" she said, taking a hold of Shoto's hand. "I think we need to get away from the crowd a bit. We'll meet you in a bit!"

"Are you sure? We can... Ouch!" Momo looked over at Yuga beside her. "Did you just elbow me?"

"Shhh...!" he smirked. Kairi knitted her brow confused by the action that had just occurred.

"Go on," Yuga said, nodding. The two of them left the group, moving down almost a hundred feet. They were near the end of the bridge and less people gathered there. One family and a couple were standing nearby. The fireworks would not be centered where they stood. However, with their view cast over the drifting water and the explosion of light and color soon to be above their heads, it would still be spectacular.

It was at the moment, it occurred to her how alone they were. There was no buffer between them, no friends to use as a distraction. She was alone, beside him, on what was considered one of the most romantic days of the year. She held her hands behind her back, trying hard to not fiddle in front of her. Her chest felt heavy and still tried to lift her from the ground. It was impossible to settle herself with him nearby. Trained discipline kept her still but inside her were several torrents as play, stretching and pulling to get out and cause destruction.

He swallowed. He had to get this out. Christmas Eve had failed but he couldn't fail now. His mother had told him if he didn't at least say something, he would regret it forever. He had hoped visiting his mother before their Christmas date would give them courage. It hadn't and he failed. Now, he feared if this didn't work, he never would say anything. Shoto turned to face her again, and the pattering in his head sped up again. He wound his fingers together, and then amused himself when he realized he was doing what she always did. He hung his hands at his sides. Shoto breathed in deep, pushing aside those torturous anxieties that plagued him.

"Are you having fun?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun." Her voice was careful.

"Good. I'm glad you came out tonight."

"I am too. Are you having fun?"

"Yeah! I am! Er... I'm glad you... came along. I... said that, didn't I... shit..." Kairi giggled.

"It's okay. I do that too when I'm nervous."

"No, I just mean... It wouldn't be nearly as fun without you here."

Her heart flopped happily.

"Yeah, same. It's more enjoyable with you around."

"Why is that?" he asked. More pulsing. Kairi brushed at the front of her garment, trying to figure out what to do with her hands.

"Because you're my best friend?"

"Oh, yeah. Right..." He formed fists, searching his mind for the next right thing to say. He chewed on the inside of his lip, nerves rolling over him. "Is that... the only reason?"

_Shit, he knows_, Kairi thought. She placed her hands on the railing of the bridge in front of her, twisting her hands around it. "Uh, I mean you're a fun person and the reason why you're my best friend is..."

"God, I'm such a coward..." he whispered. Instinct forced Kairi to reach forward, grabbing his arm.

"What? Why would you say that? No you're not!"

He tore his hand from her, unable to take the burning of her skin against his anymore. Taking the bit, jumping right in and just doing it as his mother said, he took her hand. Shoto laced his fingers with hers, tightly. He waited for her to pull away, but she didn't. She froze, but he couldn't gauge if it was because he startled her or if she truly didn't mind her hand being held.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"Yeah..." she rasped.

"Kairi..."

"Yes! It's perfectly fine. It's never not been fine." He clenched her hand for strength and then...

"Kairi. Did Christmas Eve feel like a date to you?"

"N-no!" The thundering in her would not stop. It was frantic, and maniacal. An pulsing energy that floating with reckless abandon, refusing to even give her a moment to breathe. Her feet ached with an urge to run, hide from the questions. He knew, he finally knew and there was no way he was going to be happy.

"It's okay," he said. "If you didn't want it to be a date, it doesn't have to be. So it wasn't."

"Did you... think I thought it was a date?" she asked, clutching his hand still. He looked away from her, watching his free hand flex at his side.

"I was... hoping..." he said quietly.

_Hoping_. Her soul was singing with jubilee, her very own fireworks erupting as elation spun through her.

"Why were you... hoping?" she forced herself to ask. Anticipation dangling in front of her, sweetly pulling her in and dangling delicious curiosity to sit with the hope she was suddenly flooded with.

He clenched his fist.

"I like you. I've liked you for several months. My guess would be since the beach. That's when I started to feel weird, at the aquarium. Maybe it was longer, I'm not sure. And I know you, and you're going to find some way to question what I mean. I mean _like_ you. As in the way Izuku likes Uraraka. I wanted to have a date with you on Christmas Eve but it seemed as if you weren't clear that it was a date. Part of that was my fault, I didn't clarify and I know you need that clarification. But I also don't want you to think it was a date unless you were okay with it. I have... romantic feelings for you, Kairi. It's been badgering me forever and I... I can't hide it from you anymore. I have a crush on you. I don't know what to do with it. I don't know how we're supposed to have the friendship we do now. But I couldn't let it go unsaid."

Everything her was spiraling, dancing wildly with a joy that had never been known before. The others around her were laughing and talking with glee, a side effect from her own feelings. She smiled proudly, ready to receive his confession. Then reality struck her, reminding her why this could never be. He never knew her feelings, because he truly believed them to be his own. Of course. That's how he never knew. This was the danger with her quirk. That someone would believe the feelings to be their own. What a strange sort of love potion her feelings concocted. Depression pulled at her new joy and she dropped his hand.

"You don't have a crush on me."

"But I just..."

"No. You don't. Because I have a crush on you." His feelings halted.

"What?"

"I have a crush on you. It was like, when we returned to school, it was sudden. Obviously it wasn't. I've been developing it for some time but it was so subtle and I was too much of an idiot to not notice. So when we had some time apart and I saw you again it was like I was seeing you with new eyes. What you're feeling is a reflection of how I feel, my own feelings. It isn't you, trust me. This is the thing of I was afraid of, with my quirk. That I would have feelings for someone and they would think they liked me back. But you actually don't."

"I do! Kairi, if I didn't like you, then why do I still have feelings for you when you leave the room? I can't stop thinking about you when I go to bed at night. I get excited to see you in school, when I send you text messages from my house on the other side of town, I like you then. Even when I can't see you, when I'm away from you, you are constantly on my mind. I think of the way your hair smells or the way your eyes glow when you get excited. I think about the feel of the back of your hand, and the sound of your laugh!" How she ached for the truth of his words. The pang, the agony for the longing for everything he said to be his own thoughts and opinions. Her eyes lined with her regret, her pain.

"No. Your emotions around me have tricked you into believing this is how you feel when you're not around me. You've been conditioned to believe this is real. It's a sick, malicious curse that my quirk brings. You've been coerced, manipulated, by own damn emotions. The echoes of them linger with you and begin to brainwash you. You think you like me, but you don't, Shoto. I don't want to lose your friendship, you mean everything to me..." She sniffled forcing the tears back. Her chest cracked open, as if she could feer her heart bleeding out before him. It was amazing how much this actually hurt, physically drawing on her. Stabbing might have been more preferable. "So we need to drop this. You don't like me and in time you will learn this. It's almost midnight so..."

"Trust me, Kairi. I know myself. You have to trust me. If you truly care for me that much you have to trust that I know myself and I know that I am really feeling this."

"When it comes to this..." she shook her head, sniffling. "Shoto... forgive me for getting dark but..."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at our world. Look at the terrible things that happen to people to... women, especially. To your mother. There are people out there who don't need a quirk to... violate people the ways they do. And they still do it. They still resort to vile and despicable means to do such things. I mean, we're trying to stop it, isn't that why we're in school for this? To be heroes to stop these... disgusting acts?" She wiped at the black streak, created by the smudging of her makeup.

"I need you to explain further."

"I'm saying, my quirk carries to power to manipulate, deceive... Let's carry this further. I know this is way too early to discuss but I can't talk about romantic feelings without talking about the possibility of a relationship going further and getting intimate." He blushed.

"... okay."

"I mean, you already know some of this, right? If I wanted sex, desire might be reflected in the other person. They might think they desire me and so they would feel compelled to act on it. When in reality, they don't. But the battle between emotions would fight and they might get confused and think they want it so they would give in. Things would happen and the moment they left, they would regret it. What would that make me, Shoto? That would make me a villain, right?"

"But I know the difference between my feelings and yours! And besides, that isn't you! I know you aren't someone who would use her quirk to hurt others or take something from them or assault them! It's your biggest fear!"

"Exactly!" she sobbed, clutching his hand tightly. "I could never do that, so I don't even want to explore anything like that. If I didn't think myself to be a sexual person, it wouldn't be a big deal maybe but the thing is... I know I am? So I just... I can't Shoto." He looked at the sky, hearing the shouts of people around him counting.

"Kairi, if it was completely one hundred percent what I wanted. And you knew it was what I wanted, there was no doubt in your mind that it was something I wanted... would you let me kiss you?"

"What?!" she said. The drumming in her heart was drowning out every voice. Every voice but his. His sweet, gentle masculine voice. Still holding onto him, her other hand pressed against his chest, feeling the energy that moved quickly. His heart was angry. No, not angry... was it... was it really... real? "I mean, yes if... if it was completely you just wanting it and not my influence. Of course I would. Immediately. Happily."

"Then feel free to shove me a way if you decide you don't want it." Without hesitation, Shoto gripped her closer, leaning into the burn of her palm against his chest. He breathed in her scent, savoring it for a moment. The sky burst with colors as those around them cheered. The clapping served as their background music. He pretended they were celebrating them, his courage, her integrity and her own compassion. The sky glowed, casting colors around their joining. With care, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He tasted her softness, disappearing into their moment.

For the moment, she pushed aside every doubt and every fear. For the first time, her mind cleared of everything. Nothing plagued her, and she disallowed anything from entering her mind. Her focus was on the feel of his lips passionate holding onto hers. Inside, she flipped spiraled, a bursting of activity that reflected the cascade across the sky. Was it the fireworks, or had her emotions spilled over so much they could be audible to everyone in the area?

They pulled away as the cheering continued. He rested his forehead to hers, watching the tears fall into her expansive smile.

"So... that's why they call it fireworks, huh?" she said. He chuckled and pressed another kiss to her, light this time. "What do we do now?"

"Right now?" he said, brushing the top of her hair. "Right now all we have to do is enjoy the fireworks."

* * *

**Annnddd that's it for a few days friends! I'm going to gone for about three days so I won't get any chapters up then but I wanted to make sure to get this up before I left! I hope you liked it and if you did I would appreciate a review. Of course, no pressure, do what you like! :)**


	62. Guidance Towards Each Other

The tea remained untouched, as Kairi stared at her folded hands in her lap. Her father hadn't said a word since she had retold the events that had occurred the night before. For a moment, she allowed herself to pretend. They hung onto each other the rest of the night, playing games and laughing. She told her friends that she and Shoto were going to go off alone and she would give them the details later. She had yet to text anyone what occurred between them. Her defenses broke and her weakness won out. She allowed herself this moment of happiness, beyond the veil of reality. He took her home, pressing another kiss to her lips. In a daze, happier than she had ever known, she went to bed. When she awoke that morning, she tried to dismiss it as a dream. Then Shoto texted her that it was the greatest night of his life. Her stomach dropped as her mind wiped away its fog. It wasn't pretend. It had actually happened. He had kissed her, and she kissed him back. They had admitted to each other their feelings. For anyone else, it would have been a true joy, a dream come true. For Kairi, she couldn't help but be mortified. There was no way his feelings weren't manipulated by her quirk. There was no way anything he said was true. Bursting into tears, she ran to find her father in the living room, explaining everything. Now, he remained silent, thinking over her words.

She wiped at her eyes, the rapturous storm in her finally settling.

"How terrible of a person am I?" came her shattered and gentle voice. He lifted his eyes, popped with shock.

"Terrible?" he scoffed. His gaping mouth grew into a grin. Then a light chortle erupted from him. It grew louder, stronger, til he was laughing boisterously. Mr. Hoshino threw his head back as he guffawed. Embarrassment slumped her in her seat, but the rolling anger coasted through her. She balled her fists and held them out in view on her lap.

"What is so funny?!" she hissed.

"Ah... ah, right. Yes," he said, her anger snapping him to be less than amused. He pursed his lips, searching. "If everything in your story is correct, you did nothing wrong. In fact, I think you're overanalyzing this."

"Here we go..." she moaned, rising from the couch.

"Kairi, please, wait," he said, reaching out for her. Her eyes challenged him to continue. "Based on your story, Shoto was adamant in saying this was what he wanted. Time and time again, he said he knew his feelings. Look, I've seen the way you are around each other. Shoto may get influenced and agitated when your feelings stir up but you can be angry and he remains calm. He is in control of his own emotions. He is more aware of what he is feeling in comparison to you than I have ever seen anyone. Part of that is from knowing you, the other part of that is that's just how he is."

"I could never forgive myself if it turned out he didn't actually care for me in that way and my quirk made him do that. I would feel like I assaulted him."

"I know that, you know that, and he knows that." He reached for her hand. Kairi stepped forward and let it clutch it tightly. Dark eyes pierced into her, intent on their assurances. "My guess is he's thought long and hard about this. Spent time with himself, debating, thinking it over. Hurting you is the last thing he would ever do. I don't doubt he's considered this as well and he knows this is how you would feel. He would never want to hurt you. I believe he would never have confessed to you or kissed you if he wasn't completely sure. You are a _good person_, Kairi. No matter what anyone else may say. This quirk could not have fallen on a better suited person."

"I hear your words and I know they're true, but I... I can't..." Again, her voice broke. Sniffles replaced her words. Weight dropped her shoulders as she replayed the situation again. "It's hard. I keep thinking that I... I'm... a monster. That this was my doing."

"I know, dear," he sighed, squeezing her hand. "Despite the hand life has dealt you, you still want to make sure no one is hurt. Which is amazing, when you have seen what I've seen. Lots of people feel they can take because they've been taken from. Answer me this; what convinced you that Shoto truly cared for you as a friend?"

"Time, I guess. Constant assurances. Eventually, I heard it so often and he reminded me so often I just grew to believe it."

"Because you needed to grow into that trust," he said. "Then maybe that's what this needs to be. Whatever this is. Whatever you decide to be. Which is good, because I wouldn't advise you jump into a relationship anyway. You're so young and you need to figure out where you're at."

"What if he... erm... wants to kiss me again?"

"I think you both need to have some serious discussions about all of this. Personally by this point I firmly believe he truly feels what he believes he feels. And if he wants to kiss you again, I would believe he actually wants you. But I am not you, I don't have anxiety the same way as you. I haven't been dealing with mental health the same way you have, with insecurities and everything else that goes with it. I can't pretend to understand the way your mind works, even with my quirk. So you will have to find a system you are both comfortable with." She nodded, releasing his hand.

"Yeah. We definitely need to talk."

"I would also suggest meeting with your counselor. I would bet it's not the first time she's met with teenagers at that school who's quirks caused issues with them dating anyone. She may be able to help you." The load within her lightened, and she was able to casting a glowing smile his way.

"Yeah, I'll do that. Thank you, Dad."

"Anytime, kiddo."

"Quirk stuff aside... what do you think about... Shoto and I? If we decided to pursue, whatever this is." He dropped her hand and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the light above them pensively. He drummed one finger over the thin scruff on his chin. Kairi bounced on her feet, suspense bursting out of her. "Dad come on!"

"I think he's a very good kid. He's very kind. Which is sort of surprising."

"Why is it surprising?"

"His father has a reputation, and sometimes kids of parents with toxic parenting can take on the same traits and become toxic themselves. Of course, this is far from all the time and there are many, many cases of kids recognizing their parents toxicity and breaking away from it, just as Shoto is doing. It's simply always a worry about how the kids will turn out, is what I mean. There have always been speculations and whispers, but nothing we could follow up on. And the way you've spoken about them almost confirms what I believe. Three years ago, someone was even sent to do a welfare check."

"And they found nothing," Kairi growled.

"Yeah. That's the influence of Endeavor's status." His response matched Kairi's disdain, an indicator he was not fond of the results either.

"And he says everything is fine now. He says he's not afraid of his father and while yeah he gets angry, he can't touch him anymore. He's found a way to keep him at bay so he keeps telling me to drop it and let it be."

"Well, that's good! But I would prefer he was removed from him. However, with Endeavor being the number one hero, being tied so closely to the police, and so much of the public relying on him... it would be a near impossible feat to get him convicted of anything. You know how it goes with men with power and money. Now apply that to someone who people rely on to protect them and is good at it."

"I'm diverting from the point. I just mean it's rather surprising to see how much of a... gentleman Shoto is around you. And not just a gentleman, but understands how to respond to you and is mindful of your mental health."

"That's his mother's influence," she said. "She's... so sweet, and kind, but the damage Endeavor left on her... it broke her, Dad. Shoto visits with her all the time. He's said that she sometimes gets flashbacks and he's had to learn how to manage that."

"So he may have spoken to doctors and nurses and over time just learned how to help you. That's... that's a real man there, Kairi." His grinned stretched wider as he began to hobble himself towards the kitchen. Kairi followed close behind. "For you two? I'm agreeable to it. It doesn't sound like he's seen healthy depictions of love and respect in his house between his parents. I guess that would concern me a bit. But considering how he's treated everything else, I wouldn't put it past him to try and learn. He seems to be a kid who is trying to do what's best for him, and for you."

"He is..." her voice was wistful and distant, dreamily floating to thoughts of Shoto.

"I'm going to ask about it, you're just going to have to deal with that," he said with a chuckle. "I'm going to check in on you, on him, on the two of you together... if that's what you decide. I never need to know details, in fact there's probably things you won't want to tell me. But I am going to ask about the important things and wonder how you two are getting along."

"I can deal with that."

"I do like him. Very much. He has taken care of my daughter very well, and it sounds as if he is respectful and is putting your needs first. As he should. Just don't forget to talk to him to figure all this out, all right?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Good. Now for the normal father to daughter dating advice."

"Oh Goooddd!" She swiftly pivoted, preparing to leave the kitchen.

"Hold on, it's not bad or embarrassing." Kairi paused before slowly turning back. Her arms crossed in front of her as itchy boredom filled her. Her eyes screaming impatience as she waited. "You're training to be a hero. That means possibly more than any other student, school has to come first for you. Do not sacrifice work to spend time with him. You need to train, and keep your grades up. I already struggled with letting you go, but since this is what you wanted more than anything, I _will_ prevent you from seeing him if it affects your grades."

"Yes."

"And do not forget your friends. It is so easy to decide the only thing that matters is your partner and you don't need to hang out with your friends. But especially in high school, you cannot make your boyfriend-"

"Not boyfriend, don't know where we are."

"Your... paramour then. Interested one," he said, fishing for the words. "You already see so much of each other at school, events... there is such thing as too much of a good thing. You need time apart. You need to be around different people, experience things separately. Aside from maybe how you talk to each other and how... close... you two are, it shouldn't change that much with you and Shoto."

"I know this, Dad. But thank you, I appreciate it."

"One more thing before you go to finish packing!" Kairi swung her leg back around, stopping herself from running off. Mr. Hoshino brightened before swiveling his chair back to face her. "Because I know you, and you're fearful of the implications of something as simple as you kissing him, I don't believe I have to worry about anything like sex between you two for a long time." Her legs became chutney, a desire to run burning through them. Horror kept her still while her mind shoved her towards the stairs. The words traumatized her and she could not run. So she was forced to stand and listen.

"Must we do this? Please? Seriously, I mean, Dad we only shared a couple of light kisses and held hands, I don't even know if I want to be with him yet, it's a big mess, please please pleeeaaassee!"

"Lack of healthy communication between parents and their children about sex as well as improper education has led many children and people to make incorrect decisions about how they approach intimacy, which had then led to a lot of pain. Of differing kinds. I don't want you to endure that."

"Uggghhhh!" she hissed. Her insides stretched, clawing their way out of this mortifying situation she was forced to remain in. "What, and please make it quick?"

"I personally think you're too young for it."

"Great, we agree, _thanks_!"

"Waaaiittt. Like I said, I know I won't need to worry about it for a long while. Just, when it happens... make sure you communicate to each other. I cannot emphasize this anymore, it's incredibly important you talk about it. And you are more than welcome to talk to me about it, as embarrassing as it is for the most of us. I don't want you to get hurt in anyway just because you were afraid of embarrassing either one of us. Please, know you can come to me about anything and I won't judge. Remember the school rules and keep those in mind." Kairi blinked, her feet burning to run. "I'm done. Go pack."

"Thank you, I love you, take your medicine, bye!" Quicker than she had ever moved, she was bounding up the stairs. Kairi couldn't make herself get away from the scene fast enough.

It was strange to be back. So much had happened during such a short break. Her classmates shared stories of gifts they had received or what they caught up on with their free team. But it all felt like a strange alternate reality, being back to school in a time where she had not only finally told Shoto how she felt, but also kissed him. Seeing him upon arriving at the dorm was odd. She hadn't replied to much of his texts and all she had told her friends was that something had happened with her and Shoto, and she needed some time to figure out what was going on. Yuga was itching for information, but Tsu continued to give him a death glare to silence him. Momo reminded her she was able to talk about anything she needed and then three of them disappeared into their rooms. With silence in her peaceful dorm once more, Kairi placed freshly folded pairs of laundry into her drawers. Reorganizing her small make-up collection, a soft knock drew her attention to the door.

"Yes?" she called while she placed her eyeshadow palette back into her make-up bag.

"It's Shoto." Her tumbling heart sped.

"Err... c-come in?" She made a face at the strained sound of her voice. The door slowly cracked and there he was once more. Hair both shimmering and aglow, a princely smile adorning his face. He just wore a blue jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans, yet he couldn't look any more striking. She swallowed, fumbling over the zipper on her make up bag.

"Do you need help unpacking at all?"

"No, it's fine you don't need..." But he was already crossing the room, pulling her elephant out of her case and cautiously placing it with the rest of its friends. "Sure, thanks."

"You're not... upset with me?" He patiently asked. Kairi turned back to pull out a stack of books. Her eyes scanned the bookshelf for their place.

"No, not at all. I'm sorry I haven't had the energy to reply... no, that's inaccurate. I haven't figured out how to reply."

"We don't have to be anything if you don't want."

"No, don't say that. I know that after that night, neither one of us can go on like the friends we were and pretend nothing ever happened. But I can't just jump into a relationship. My head is spinning and I already accepted I would never have one. Now you've gone and disturbed all that acceptance and I'm second guessing and I don't know how to make peace with all of this. I... I have no idea how to convince myself my quirk isn't going to interfere." Shoto dropped her deodorant and toothbrush back into the suitcase, stepping over it. Closing the distance between them, he lightly touched at her hand. Chills crept up her arm and she spun to look at him. The blue and grey eyes stole her in, locking her in his gaze. Her neck heated.

"What do you want to do, Kairi? You control the pace. You take the lead. I will follow with whatever you're comfortable with. This is your comfortable level. Don't want me to kiss you again? Then I won't, until you give me the go ahead. I won't even hold your hand." To prove it, he dropped his touch. Denial rushed through her, and she snatched his hand back.

"No! No, I... I mean I liked the kiss, but I... I have no idea..."

"If you don't know, then I won't do it other. Only if I get an affirmative response."

"I guess... I just... I don't want to be a couple. Not yet, I need to figure us out first," she said. "We need to have... many talks. I need to see my counselor about this but I think... Uh... I've had messes of emotions before but never like... like this."

"Take your time," he said, his voice casting a soothing balm over her spirit. She allowed his words to flow across her, settling her mind.

"I want to go about it slow, see where things lead. Maybe sitting close to each other watching a movie... or something. Not much more than what we were doing before but at least now we're...building towards something, seeing where we lead. But if I am going to be sure that you really feel this way, I am going to need to hear you say so and be giv... given attention, erm.. so to speak, when you're not around me."

"Like texts and phone calls?"

"Yeah. I need to learn to trust it, to stop doubting everything." He nodded and swiped the toiletries back up again.

"I can do that, for sure. And yes we can have any conversation whenever you like. You are in complete control of the pace we go. I should probably try to think about... what this means for us as well. I..." He shuddered before quickly placing her toiletries on the counter in her small bathroom. "I want to say I can't... promise I'll... do everything right. I'm unsure how to b-be... attentive. In a romantic sense. I confess I might... I might ask Midoriya for advice." Her form stiffened with terror. "I've kind of been looking up stuff online but there's a lot of assholes there so... not the best. My mom knows too... but... I'm going to try. I'm going to do the best I can to be... whatever it is you need me to be. Please, call me out if I do anything that upsets you and I'll work to correct it." It was hard not to be enamored by his words he already was saying. The thundering inside her would not stop.

"You're already doing wonderful, Shoto. I... I guess the same with me. I might get a little crazy because well... I feel lost. I won't be perfect either, but..." He walked back across the room. Waiting, and with deliberate slowness, he held out his arms. In an instant, she was scrambling towards him. His arms locked around her. Kairi took in his deep scent, radiating in the warmth he covered her.

"We're going to do this together, whatever this is..." His voice was soft and serene. It would be so easy to lose herself to this. "We'll guide each other, but you control the pace. Understand?"

"Yeah..." she said, pulling away. Her glinting eyes reached deep into the core of him, pulling forth warm that flooded through. "Thank you."

"Uh, I guess I'll... see you at dinner."

"Yeah." She watched him going, heart panging as he reached for the handle. "See ya."

He stayed for just a moment longer, taking the opportunity to just see her. He studying the richness of her hair, the way her blue streak shimmered in the dim light. Her eyes reached into him so far, he broke. Lest he lose himself, he quickly disappeared, letting the door shut quickly.

Her chest fluttered as she tried to return to her desk, needing to clear her mind of its fog to recall what it was even doing. Just as she made to empty her suitcase, her phone chirped. Her impatient fingers swiped it, flipping at the sight of a text from Shoto already.

_Still like you. A lot. _– Shoto.

She giggled, heart sailing with glee.


	63. Trusting Confessions

**I cannot express how deeply sorry I am for not being able to upload for almost a week at this point. I know that a week is nothing considering how long some authors on here go between uploads, but as you have gotten used to my consistency in uploading an average of every other day, I feel incredibly awful. It's a consistency I strive for, but the last week has been a mess. The last two weeks have been nothing but me constantly running to do stuff and then we ran into some family drama that sort of combusted. Having to do all that WHILE still struggling to write completely wore me out and after the family thing I went to, I just had to sit and take a couple days of self care and recover mentally before I took on anything. Thank you so much for your dedicated readership, I am incredibly grateful and I hope you understand.**

* * *

It was the rare morning that Kairi was able to defeat her alarm immediately and jump from her bed. While her school uniform prevented her from laboring over her appearance too much, she swept over it to clear away any remaining wrinkles it may have collected. She plugged in her rarely used curling iron and hesitantly began to carefully work at her hair. It had grown quite a bit over the last several months, reaching her shoulder blades. She was always pretty girly, but never obsessed too much over her hair and never wore too much make-up. Yet, the insistent desire to attend to her looks as much as possible awoke her that morning. As inexperienced as she was, she wound the hot rod through her hair. When the curls bounced back, she gaped at the dramatic difference, and continued.

Once she had pulled her hair back with a bow, it didn't look too terrible. Lightly running her fingers through it evened out the curls a little bit. More dramatic colors around her eyes, extra brushes of blush, and a deeper shade of pink on her lips. Once she stepped back and look at her appearance, she winced. A pearl drop necklace her father gave her, the iris earrings, and an extra spritz of her perfume. If it weren't for the brightly shining blue streak, she would have thought she was staring at an image of her mother. It wasn't her.

"What the _fuck_ am I doing?" she scoffed. Distress pulled her face into her hands. Shame caused her groan. A look at the clock. There was no point in wasting time trying to undo everything. Kairi took her bag and dragged it behind her, as she followed the descent of the steps.

"Oh my God!" Tsu exclaimed, looking up from the breakfast table when Kairi entered the kitchen area. Iida's eyes popped, and Momo covered her mouth. Uraraka and Izuku looked up for a moment, appearing shocked. Bakugo looked up for one second longer before returning to his bowl of rice quietly.

"I knew it, I look terrible," Kairi said, gnawing on the edge of her lip. Insecurities coiled around her.

"_Non, non, mon amie_, you look marvelous, truthfully!" Yuga greeted with a smile. "You always have looked lovely though."

"I guess you are wearing a little more make-up, _ribbit_," Tsu responded coolly. "I was simply surprised to see you awake. I don't remember the last time you woke up in time for breakfast."

"Is, erm... Shoto awake?" she dropped her voice as she slid into her seat across from Yuga, joining Momo and Tsu as she did. Momo dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before speaking.

"I haven't seen him come down yet, which is odd. Usually he's one of the first people down here."

"Yeah, and you're in time for breakfast," Tsu said, adding to the strange situation, holding a finger to her lip. "Did you two switch lives or something?"

"I need to talk to you three... about something..." Kairi whispered as she leaned across the table.

"Something happened at the festival!" Yuga sang softly between them. Red burst through Kairi's face. "_Qui?_ I am correct!"

"Yes, and I... I need advice, okay! My mind is exploding and... I'm... I'm not sure... Look, we just need to talk! Away from Shoto!"

"You need to eat something first," Tsu said, with a strong authority. The girl left the table and strode into the kitchen, dishing out a plate with the few platters of food that awaited them.

"We can talk on the way into school," Momo nodded. "Shoto usually walks with us though, isn't he going to find that weird?"

"No, I'm sure he's figured out I'm going to talk to you." Yuga's chopsticks clattered against his bowl as he propped himself out of his chair.

"Wait, you mean to say whatever happened, Todoroki is aware of it?"

"Yes."

"Oooh, I am intrigued indeed!" Tsu returned with a plate. Her fingers pushed it in front of Kairi.

A sleep eyed Mineta slumped into the kitchen, giving his usual half wave to the class members that were in the kitchen. In mid walk, he stopped. Frozen, he stiffly spun. Bugged eyes turned to Kairi. He shifted his eyes as he took in her gussied appearance. Her foresight already predicting the avenue this reaction was going to take, Kairi covered her face again. The small boy dropped his jaw. He shook, unable to contain his excitement. A string of drool flowed from the edge of his lip. Entranced eyes stared.

"Hey, come on!" Kirishima called from the other side of the kitchen. "It's not very manly to stare like that!"

"I don't know, he's doing a pretty good job at that Kaminari impression," Bakugo said.

"Leave her alone, you creep!" Ashido hissed as she rose from her table. She slammed her chopsticks over his head, splintering them into a two pieces each. As if it was the kick he needed to draw him back out his trance, Mineta scurried away towards the kitchen. Kairi mouthed "thank you" to Ashido. Mineta tried sneak a glance or two as he collected his plate. Ashido smiled at Kairi, quickly changing her expression to a glare as she watched Mineta.

Continuing to keep them in suspense, she worked at the food in front of. Breakfast was helping to quiet the anxiety in her. At least to a level that she was finding it tolerable to sit with again.

"Can we go? Please?" she pleaded. The soles of her feet burned with the desire to flee.

"Sure, if you're okay with not waiting for Shoto," Momo said. Kairi nodded and the four of them gathered together from the table. Just as they urgently made for the door, Shoto met them half way. Surprise caught him for an instant, and then he gathered himself. A rhythm pounded out in Kairi's sternum at his sudden appearance.

"You're up early," he said, unable to break away from her eyes. She nodded.

"We're heading to school," Kairi plainly stated.

"Oh... right now?" he asked. Was that a different cologne he was wearing? It was a deeper scent, more earthy. Rain against the earth in the deep woods, with notes of smoke. Her nostrils tingled, unsure how she felt about this new scent.

"Y-yeah. I want to talk to them. About... you know."

"Oh. Oh! Right, um... I'll see you at school then." Awkwardly nodding, Kairi pulled herself away from him. As fast as possible, she zipped through the door. Just before Tsu let it close behind the group, they could hear a fragment of Shoto speaking loudly; "Mineta, if you don't stop staring, I'll will use my quirk to remove your...!" The door shut.

"So, um..." When she began, her voice pitched up. A frenzy of emotions wound her tight, squeezing out her words. Swallows and butterflies angrily fought within her soul. She tapped her fingers together. "To make this short. Shoto likes me, apparently. I told him I like him. Annnddd then we... kissed!"

"_RIBBIT_?!"

"_Félicitations!"_

"You... kissed?" Their responses piled on top of each other. Yuga flew to Kairi in a hug, his face warm and bright with glee.

"Just I mean... super light like... it was super gentle, we weren't sure what we doing if I'm honest but we spent the night just... being together and talking and... I don't know what's going on?"

"We wondered how long it would take you!" Yuga said as they continued down the walk.

"What do you mean 'wondered'? For me to tell him?" Kairi said.

"Ah, Aoyama!" Momo scoffed with a roll of her eyes. She shook her head in defeat. "We've known for a while he's liked you." A missile exploded inside Kairi.

"Excuse me?"

"He never told us but we could tell."

"What do you mean you could tell?!"

"He wasn't exactly hiding it," Yuga said. "He was _très evident_." Kairi blinked, amber eyes large. "The boy was going beyond what friends do. He was being a little too intimate with you. As Todoroki isn't a terribly intimate person to begin with, it was very clear."

"And no one said anything?" Her voice cracked as horror took over her voice.

"We figured it was your business," Momo said. "We didn't want to get in the middle of anything or jump to any conclusions. We thought you would hate it if we intervened." The offense wore away as it was replaced by a tender gratefulness. A smile found her face while she looked at them. It was nice, to be continually be reminded of their sensitivity and what good friends they were.

"Well, that was... the correct call. Thank you... um, but! The is-issue..." She tensed again, clutching her bag tightly. "How do I know that he really likes me? What if it's my quirk?"

"Allow me to chime in," Yuga began proudly, puffing his chest. "When the boys are split from the girls, Todoroki speaks very rarely. Half the time when he does speak, it's focused on you. He smiles at his phone when he texts you."

"He asked me questions about what to get you from Christmas," Momo said.

"When we're practicing our hero tactics, he is more tense watching you from the sidelines than anyone else," said Tsu.

"When you're not around, you're the one on his mind, guaranteed. There is no way it is just your quirk!" Yuga ended his words with a wink, as if that would add credibility to his words. Doubt flopped around inside Kairi.

"Are you sure that's not just some conditioning, some manipulation, some..."

"Kairi," Momo interrupted. They stopped just before the school's doors. The four of them gathered on the path, staring at their frantic friend. She rested a hand on her arm. "I understand you're worried. If you weren't, we would actually be concerned. You are correct that this quirk of yours could carry chance for manipulation. And in anyone else it very well might. But you are so incredibly careful with how you approach things, knowing your quirk. You're in tune to your emotions and Shoto is able to keep his calm even when you're... not. It's possible he can identify the difference between your emotions and his, he's had a better handle on them than some of us. But we've all been able to keep ourselves composed when you're not... terribly calm. We feel it but just from knowing you, being around you, becoming familiar with your quirk... being your friends. Over time we have grown to strengthen ourselves and know what our own feelings are."

"Yeah. We're so familiar with it now, it's easier to manage," Tsu added.

"I don't think it's as much of a danger as you believe it to be _mon cherie_," Yuga said. "And Todoroki is a fine gentleman, and you're very cautious to make sure your quirk isn't manipulating anyone."

"So... you think he... really does... _like me_?" Choosing to believe even for a moment caused somersaults within her soul. A bounce found her step as she rocked in place. "Like, genuine, for real?"

"Almost all of his posts online, especially lately, have been affiliated with you in some way," Tsu said. "If I recall, a lot of those occurred when you weren't near him."

"He likes me..." Kairi echoed. The words sounded hollow and ethereal to her. "He actually _likes_ me..." Tsu gestured for them to head aside. In a daze, she floated behind them, listening to the continuing conversation.

"Knowing how the two of you are, I also don't think you have anything to worry about anything happening between the two of you," Momo said. "You're both genuine, honest, and are concerned about the other's wants. You're constantly checking in on the other and won't proceed unless the other is okay with it. Talk things out, and go slow. But that's what I would tell anyone."

"The most important thing you need is trust," Yuga added quietly. "If anything is going to happen between you two, you will need to learn to trust each other. You need to trust that he is genuine when he says yes or no. You need to believe that he is being honest if you want this to work. And he needs to trust you as well."

"You've given your trust over to Bakugo, even for a moment," Tsu reminded with a grin. "I don't imagine it will be hard for you to do that with Todoroki."

Warmer and lighter, she carried herself into the classroom. Skipping on their words, the advice settled in nicely. Suddenly, it felt completely possible. Doable. Even likely, that she could take on this task and might actually be able to have something, with something. With Shoto. A wild girlish feeling rose in her. For the first time in her life she entertained having a real relationship. No doubt, that trust would come easily with him. There was no one she trusted more, other than her father. If they moved slowly and took it one step at a time, she could definitely grow in their relationship. It could be possibly. They could be... something. Together.

"Uhh," was the only thing Izuku could find to say. "I guess... good for you?"

"I just mean, how do I approach her? How do I assure her these are my real feelings?" Shoto asked as the two of them walked together. Uraraka hung back at some distance, following Ashido and Hagakure that day.

"Tell her?"

"It's a little more complicated with Kairi. For multiple reasons she struggles to believe it."

"I don't know then. I mean, I don't have a lot of experience with girls."

"What about Uraraka?" His green hairs stood on end as his face filled with blood.

"What about her? What does she have to do with this?"

"Aren't you...?"

"No, no Ochaco is just a really good friend, I'm not attracted to her! I mean, not that she's unattractive, she's actually really pretty and I suppose if anything were to happen with us it wouldn't be the end of the world, it might actually be pretty nice but it's not like I'm trying to pursue anything with her, she's definitely doesn't seem like she wants anything to happen and I'm not going to make her...!" His usual rambling had become more harried this time, sentences colliding into each other. Shoto breathed hopelessly. He pulled as his collar as the cold air nipped around them.

"Don't worry about, Midoriya," he dismissed. "I thought you might have an idea since you seem to have all the right ideas?" Izuku stopped his flailing.

"Huh? Really?" Shoto shrugged. Izuku watched his feet. "Well, it's as I said, I don't really know much of anything. I can give you the basics; respecting her and putting her before yourself. But I feel those are obvious answers. I guess the only thing you can do is go it slowly and earn her trust. Let her see that she doesn't have anything to worry about. Nothing is going to happen without her trusting you. I guess it's kind of like getting a stray animal to trust you..." He lost himself to his diverting thoughts again, causing Shoto to roll his eyes. "You have to work at it every day, maybe set out a little food every day and little by little, they will come to you. Of course, that analogy doesn't make sense as Kairi is already best friends with him so some of that foundation is already in place. Maybe it's more like playing piano if you're an experienced pianist but you're working on a new piece. You may understand the melody but it's going to take a few pieces before you're experienced in it that you don't need any notes..."

"I get it, Izuku," he groaned again.

"Oh? Oh, sorry," he chuckled. "I guess that doesn't help."

"It helps confirm things I was already considering. Slowly, building up trust." He nodded to himself. "I can do that. Do me a favor though – keep this between us. I'm sure Aoyama, Yaomomo, and Tsu know. But if and until anything with is official, I think Kairi might like to keep this quiet."

"Uh, sure, of course." They entered the building, as the last few of the students shuffled inside.

Kairi watched him take his seat, admiring the elegance with which he fell into it. As the class buzzed with conversation; a paper airplane zipped over their heads. Bakugo was bellowing about something again. Sero and Sato hovered over Koda as he played some game on his phone. Uraraka laughed with Hagakure and Ashido. The room went on, but they couldn't tear their attention away from each other. Her grin expanded into a soft laugh. The light caught the mirth-filled glistening in her eyes. He smiled back. Another private conversation between them, unbeknownst to everyone else. Something was happening. She clutched at her chest, fighting against the jittering hysterics. Pride, a happy warmth exploded from her chest. Hope. Trust.

It was the first time in her memory her emotional cocktail held nothing but good feelings all around.


	64. Vital Palpitations

It was hard to give any focus to Aizawa as he detailed the plans out for their training for the day. Kairi discreetly attempted to scroll through news about the QuirKey members. Not everyone who had worked for the company had been there the night they tried to "investigate". Some were serving long sentences, others shorter ones, and a few were just given probation depending on their involvement and positions. Those who had been "given" quirks through the program saw them begin to lessen in power, much to their dismay. It seemed the technology had been "rolled out" too quickly and didn't stick. She let out a deep breath as relief washed over her. The one who had her quirk would no longer have it and people would no longer be subjected to the consequences it brought, outside of herself. Still, the news updates continued to carry her through a deep dive of opinion pieces, people arguing if this marketed the beginning of a technology that would soon come to light, if this new science was ethical, how long it would be til it was perfected for use, the implications of it all. Just as had been discussed before, people brought forth their views discussing why this was a good thing or not, and it only continued. More respectable journalists shared their pieces, and it ventured into blogs and even social media posts. Everyone from the most educated person to an ill-informed conspiracy nut seemed to have an opinion on the matter.

"Hoshino, if I have to say it one more time, I _am_ going to confiscate your phone for the rest of the day!" blurted Aizawa as he glared from the front of the room. Embarrassment fell on her and she quickly tugged it away into her bag.

"Sorry," she whispered quickly. With one last hard glance, he returned to his instruction as he addressed the rest of the room.

"As I was saying, we are going to focus our training on rescue tactics. You have all clearly have shown the resolve to go against villains and opponents." Kairi slid down in her seat as his words bore down on her. Truth didn't ring through as guilt restricted her. While he made no indication of singling anyone out or gesture in her direction that she was excluded from that comment, her own self esteem reminded her of the lack of physical capabilities or combat training she had. "We have covered some basic survival and rescue tactics in the past and emphasized the importance of it. Some of you have even picked up on a few things without any teaching." Aizawa's eyes did fall in her direction this time. Her body rippled with a gentle pride as she sunk lower in her seat. "But a hero needs every tool possible to save every person they possibly can. So I apologize; while the next few class days may seem more mundane and boring to you, it is vital to being a hero to understand how to attend to a person in need or protecting and survival. If a person is in danger, you need to have the tools to get them out of that danger whether it be a villain, a fire, a landslide, a cave-in, or if they are in a violent home situation." A hand shot up from among the class. Aizawa looked over in Kaminari's direction.

"Isn't that something emergency services are trained in?" he asked.

"Very true indeed. I am not asking you to know how to perform surgery here; nor am I telling you that you shall be the ones responsible for putting out a fire. Only certain heroes have been licensed to help in extinguish fires and firefighters who are of course, heroes in their own right. What I am saying is, in those moments while you wait for an ambulance or the police to arrive, those could be the most critical. You have some minimal knowledge in first aid thanks to our brief coverage of it. However, it is also important for all heroes to be First Responders to a situation. You will need to stop someone from bleeding out as minutes could be the difference between life or death, for example."

"How much stuff can there be? Isn't everything pretty basic knowledge? Some tourniquets, CPR?" Sero asked, after raising his hand to draw the attention of the teacher.

"That's a part of it and it's true that you will be taught that," Aizawa said, leaning against the edge of his desk. "However, there are other things that are important to know. For example, we will be working to extend how long you can hold your breath." Kairi twitched. "There may be moments when you need to respond to a drowning victim, and you will need to hold your breath as long as you can. A few seconds can make all the difference. First Responders, hero and non-hero alike, will also need to demonstrate compassion and understanding to keep victims calm and willing to listen. Panic can also cause damage that you would normally never expect. It is also essential for you to learn to remain calm in being in a first responder situation. If you are panicking, then you will not be equipped to handle the situation."

Homeroom ended shortly after his informing before he asked everyone to follow him along out of the room. Once more, he lead the class to weave through the hallways and towards one of the smaller recreational stadiums the school had. With the comment that they wouldn't need to stop at their lockers for their hero suits, he lead them all inside. Standing before them was All Might, dressed in a suit, and Thirteen in her white hero suit and black helmet. Spread out on the floor were over twenty semi-realistic mannequin torsos with the floppiest looking limbs. Their expressions were horrifically lifeless as if their souls were drained and took something else with them while they cried out in pain. The sight was shocking, seeing a bunch of bland rubber faces looking out at them all. A chill ran through Kairi as she looked on.

"I apologize class won't be nearly as exciting as it usually is when you're taken to a gym," Thirteen began, standing proudly before them. "However, these rescue courses will be just as important and serve you well as heroes. For these exercises, I would advise you to choose a partner and then sit next to each other on the floor, each one of you taking your own mannequins. They look startling, I know, but I promise they are meant to be devices useful for this lesson."

Kirishima held up a hand. Thirteen and All Might both nodded to him.

"All Might, is it really necessary to learn all this stuff? I mean, did you really need to learn some of this stuff so indepthly? You were a fighting hero, after all."

"That is true," he answered. "There were many times when I worked with a partner or a sidekick so someone could attend to the victim while I fought, or they would fight alongside me. There were also times when we were both required to help the victim or I was alone and needed to do some quick first aid beyond cleaning wounds. Sometimes you can't help but respond to situations alone, but this is one of the many reasons it's important to have a partner when you're a fully licensed hero. I did use these knowledges, many times. Learning about rescue methods served me well when I was serving as a hero."

"And that's exactly why it's important. As Mr. Aizawa already explained in your room, the few minutes between waiting for emergency services are vital and you will need to know some details to make sure the victim gets the best care possible. Today we are just going to learn the basics. I will give you a moment to choose your partners and mannequins."

Shoto was already pushing his way over to Kairi. The enthusiasm which moved him also caused a rise of heat to Kairi's cheeks and the strangest flopping in her stomach. Liking him was an exhilarating pain at times, especially now that they were out in the open with each other.

"Hey," she giggled. His smile erupted his face in brilliance. The class was quick in knowing who to choose for partners and efficient in taking their spots in front of the disturbing mannequins.

"These things are terrifying," Shoto whispered, wrinkling his nose as they got a closer look at their "victims" laying before them.

"I think my mannequin is already dead," Kairi said. She pointed to the discoloration on its face. "The eyes look lifeless and there's no color to those lips." Shoto quickly placed a hand to his mouth, preventing a laugh from escaping.

"If a person collapses, the first thing to check is their vitals. You'll need to find their pulse and count it to make sure it's normal. Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the normal heartrate is?" A few hands among the group shot up, including Kairi and Shoto's. "Asui?"

"Seventy?" she guessed.

"That is correct," Thirteen said. "Seventy is a good answer, you want to pulse to be anywhere between sixty and a hundred beats per minute. There are many factors to take into account with pulse such as age, weight, emotions one may be feeling, medications the victim is on, how fit someone is, if they smoke, and other attributes. For example, someone who is incredibly muscular might be around forty beats per minute. However, if your pulse is really outside of that range, that might be cause for concern. There are several places on your body you can take a pulse, but there are two efficient ways." Thirteen continued, demonstrating on All Might where two place two fingers – neck and wrist – to find a good read on one's pulse. After the short demonstration, she sent the class loose in finding their partner's pulse.

Kairi moved quickly, pressing her fingers to the inside of Shoto's wrist first. Even as she tried to keep her focus and mutter the timing under her breth, her own pulse was heightening. Gentle enough to be involuntary, Shoto's fingers curled and stroked her own as her worked. Shuddering, the young girl jerked her hand away before fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

"Um, 68... that's good, um, you're alive." He chuckled, the noise a warm melody.

"Oh, so you were concerned?" he asked. Kairi shook her head, gnawing on the edge of the lip. Before embarrassment clouded her emotions again, she moved closer and pressed her fingers to his neck. Having to be this close to his face, feeling the heat of his breath between the narrow space; her spirit was spiraling erratically. The pressure behind her chest pained her as it clawed to get out. Underneath her fingers, the gentle thumping seemed to increase slightly. His eyes held tightly onto hers, the two of them shocking electric with their gazes. Quickly completing caused Kairi to draw away again, balling her fists in her lap.

"76," she replayed.

"It... went up," Shoto swallowed, slightly nervous. She wrung her fingers together, a grin cutting into the rounded rosy cheeks she had.

"Yeah, I felt it go up."

"I can't find your pulse, are you dead?!" cried Hagakure from somewhere behind them.

"That's too low on the wrist!" called Yuga from the other side of them. Kairi snorted, hearing the sounds of their students struggling to find other's pulses. Yet, as amusing as they were, they still drowned out. Shoto laid his own hand against her wrists. The touch felt more intimate than it was meant to be, his heat seeping against her own. The heavily fluttering sped wildly through her soul, singing rapturously as the contact it was receiving.

"96..." he mumbled just before he returned to place a hand against her neck. Her breath caught at the moment he pressed a careful touch to her. Just as he did, the sound of blood banging in her ear hurried. Her chest thundered with her ecstatic nerves, a thousand birds at play with jubilance. "Why is that one 108?"

"Because, erm..." There was no hiding the deepness of her blush in her face. Shw wrung her hands together as her voice flattened. "You made my pulse... go up." Shoto coughed, reaching to pull at the tie around his neck.

"Oh, eh... I see." He coughed again. Most of the class was finally just finding each other's wrist pulse, having a harder time locating the pulse on each other's necks. Thirteen strode over to Shoto and Kairi, facing down at them as they awkwardly waited on the floor.

"Have you two finished already?" Kairi nodded, along with Shoto. "I guess that's no surprise, you've used this before right, Hoshino?" She blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, my dad is licensed in being a first responder. He taught me some things at home."

"Would you mind helping to demonstrating proper chest compressions procedure?" As high as it was, her pulse seemed to stop, freezing with the rest of her.

"Wh... huh?"

"I don't mean to put you on the spot, Hoshino. Feel free to say no. You just performed CPR expertly on Todoroki this summer, and I know you know this stuff. It's up to you of course, but I think it would be a great help if you helped me in showing how it's done." Automatically, she turned to look in Shoto's direction, as if she was looking for approval. He gave him a supportive smile. Kairi swallowed, an attempt to push away the rising anxiety.

"Okay," she agreed. It was impossible to tell with Thirteen's oversized helmet, but there was a feeling as if she was smiling. Once their teacher took another walk around and discovered everyone had properly found each other's pulses, she returned to the front and began to instruction on CPR. She displayed the mannequins they had in front of them, showing how they inflated with air and made a clicking noise when enough pressure was exerted onto them for chest compress. After the brief overview, she motioned to Kairi. Shoto squeezed her hand quickly, an encouraging twinkle in his mismatched eyes to fall. At his look, the tightness in her fell away. Courage fell into its place as she carried her mannequin to the front. Flawlessly, she performed expert CPR and resuscitation to the rubber doll in the proper timing.

"That's a lucky doll..." came a whisper from Mineta in the back. She tried to avoid Shoto's beaming grin, reserved just for her to see. She flooded with pink again.

"Well, she has real life experience," Bakugo called out, seemingly bored of the class.

"I'm not glad that I had to use it in real life," she reminded him quietly.

"If the mannequin is responding properly, then you are doing it properly," Thirteen calmly replied. Mineta's hand shot up among the crowd. "Yes, Mr. Mineta?"

"Wouldn't some real life practice be most beneficial?" Anger growled in Kairi's gut.

"On a person?" Thirteen repeated. As Mineta enthusiastically nodded, she put her hands on her hips. The atmosphere thickened with the sense she was narrowing her eyes. "Not only would that be dangerous to practice CPR on someone who isn't in need of it, resuscitation is considered an assault without a person's permission!"

"Wait, it is?" asked Iida. "So if the person is passed out and they can't give their permission, we would be in the wrong to try and revive them?"

"No, that's when informed consent comes into play. If they are currently aware but are having heart trouble, for example and can't breathe, you ask them if you can perform CPR. Maybe they say no, in which case you simply wait for them to pass out. If they pass out then the informed consent law is valid and you can perform CPR on them. There are laws that will protect you should they decide for some reason they didn't want you to give them life saving resuscitation. Laws that will show you were doing it to save their life." Kairi nodded, aware of Thirteen's instruction. Shoto raised a brow, recognizing her acknowledgement.

The class continued, long enough until everyone had shown they had been able to figure out to properly give CPR to their mannequins. After a quick cleaning, the mannequins had been cleared away with the reminder they would be returning to CPR instruction on occasion, for refreshers and updates. Thirteen continuing, giving them a brief overview of how a defibrillator unit is used, reminding them the instructions for the use was labeled in every wall unit. Kairi nodded along. Her hurrying mind gripped onto each word, turning it over in her mind as she deeply analyzed every angle. Finally, her hand shot straight up. Thirteen looked over her direction.

"Yes, Ms. Hoshino?"

"Okay, I know this is a bit off topic as we're dealing with resuscitating victims but since it's something we might see as heroes," she began, excitement guiding her voice. Shoto spun to look at her, eyes amplified by the surprise of how enthused she seemed to be to speak up. It wasn't often she did so, and she almost never spoke with such passion in her voice in class. "But there may be times when a victim is really badly hurt. What about tourniquets? How badly hurt does someone have to be to use one? I assume that may be something that might happen someday."

"You're correct, to be sure," Thirteen began slowly, holding up a cautionary finger. "We will get there, for sure. But we are going to be covering the most basic of things to know to begin with. To answer your question now, however, tourniquets can be really dangerous and cause more damage than help. A tourniquet should only be applied if it's a life or limb situation. Is this person in danger of dying of infection or blood loss if I don't use a tourniquet? If the answer is yes, then you use one. But if you can prevent infection or stop blood flow first, then do that."

As Thirteen answered her question, Shoto carefully watched the way Kairi nodded through each word. Her warm eyes lit with each response, as if she were committing it to memory. There was a glow about her, one that he had recalled seeing when she would go on one of her passionate fan-fueled discussions again, or the way she looked at him while he was speaking... the way she just lit up whenever she found something she was truly interested in. He continued to watch as Thirteen went over first aid materials that every hero should have on their person, and explained how to use an epinephrine pen.

"What was that?" Shoto asked.

"What was what?"

"You usually remain quiet for the most part in class." She shrugged.

"I felt like speaking my mind and asking a question for once," she replied, frowning with confusion by his question. As normal as it had seemed to her, he couldn't help but smile. Somewhere in Thirteen's teaching, something clicked and sparked a brand new interest in her. Rescuer indeed.


	65. Exhaling Doubt

Just a few more seconds, she told herself. Attempting to remain still was getting harder as the panic tried to ensue within her. Calm was not a state of mind she found easily, and of course now it was paramount to achieve that state. Panic spiked of course, as it was destined to occur, and the threatening darkness pulled at her. Thrashing inside, she reached desperately for the hand beside her, pleading for rescue. Instantly, Kairi burst from the water. Needy breaths drank air, her lungs relaxing as she took them in. The air cooled her wet back as she observed her surroundings. Shoto's hand padded her against while she reached for a nearby water bottle, taking a heavy drink.

"2:12," he said as she set the water down. "Three seconds longer than the last one. And there were many others who surfaced before you did."

"I know, but..." Kairi turned her head, seeing Momo pop her head back up, and then Midoriya. Iida and Uraraka shouted out the times for their partners before they cheered happily. It wasn't a competition and she was not a jealous person by nature. It still was not hard to feel the coiling greed of envy rise in her as she considered how she rated next to everyone else.

"Holding your breath for over two minutes is exceptional," Shoto said. "Especially when you consider when we started this, you were only holding your breath for a 1:37."

"Yeah, I started as next to last place." Shoto shook his head, a hand placed on her shoulder.

"It isn't a competition, Kairi. As much as Bakugo and Kirishima may be making it one. Some people may take a little longer, but the hope is by the time we graduate next year, you'll be able to hold your breath for five minutes. That's why we're taking our time to practice holding our breath. Some people are going to take longer to do so than others, especially since practicing this is really scary." She nodded with understanding, but the sinking weight of insecurity still plummeted. They had already been working at this for an hour. Having a partner did help, not just for counting, but also security in belief if something did go wrong, they would be there to help you through it. And of course, professionals were on standby as well, heaven forbid the rare chance they were needed. Thirteen had instructed they pair up with the person they trusted the most in the class and that was clearly no brainer for them. It didn't change how she felt. Panic was a common feeling for her; but this particular event awoke memories of what happened in the summer. Having to sit by when Shoto held himself under water, watching tiny bubbles float around his face... She was expected to just sit there and let it happen, holding onto to his hand as a sense of comfort to remind him she was right there. Then she was expected to go under and it had taken the entire hour to calm her mind enough to push past two minutes.

"For fuck's sake, Shoto..." She pushed aside her saturated hair from her face. She imagined the feeling of eyes bearing into her, daggers shooting through her. "I feel like I'm being judged. Like I have some sort of reputation to uphold." She watched him take in a heavy breath. He waved in the direction of Thirteen and All Might cautiously keeping a watch. Thirteen nodded, recognizing his signal for them to take a short break. Once given the okay, he pulled her along to the edge of the school pool, clinging to the overhang of the wall. Kairi swam after him, bobbing beside him.

"Why do you feel that way?"

"The thing that got me recognized by the students here, by the media, the thing that got me attention in this class was the fact that I saved you. I feel like there should be some expectation I need to be the best at this."

"Kairi, we have a student with a frog quirk. You are not going to be the best here." The look she gave him was crippling. "Sorry."

"You know what I mean."

"Riri I know it's hard for you to believe that people aren't judging you. You're going to feel that no matter what. But I promise you, no one is. People are too focused on making sure they can go just a few more seconds to even care about how you're doing. This is a riskier operation than doing chest compressions so we're simply fixated on ourselves. In addition to that..." He reached forward and gripped her hand affectionately, keeping the attention just under the water's surface so no one could really notice. The touch summoned a flowering in her chest. A grateful smile found her lips, a blush of glow across her face. The warmth of her hand, even under the water's cool kiss rose tenderness to Shoto's visage. "In the last hour, you have added thirty-five seconds onto your time. Everyone else here may have started holding their breath longer than you, but you've made some of the strongest progress."

"How do you know that?" she asked, now clinging against the side of the pool.

"Just observance. Most people haven't stayed under much longer than when they first started. But you have greatly exceeded the amount of time you've been able to stay under. You always struggled the most in the beginning. I felt the intensity of your feelings just before you flailed from the water. The anxiety around this is stronger for you than it seems most people here, and you still pushed through it. Not only pushed through it, but you have stretched farther than what the average progress of the class it."

"What's the average progress?"

"My guess? I would say it's probably around twenty seconds." Her heart tightened with shock. Was it truly that much of a difference?

"Only... twenty seconds?" she repeated. Her nodded casually.

"Which is somewhat surprising. I mean it obvious to me that you have a remarkable mental strength, despite what you think." Another grin broke in her as she turned her blushing face away. It was impossible to stop his own smile from forming as the blush sweetened her lovely face. The pace in him quickened once more, warming his soul. "You can sometimes take a little... longer to find that strength. It can take you a bit of time to understand you have the will to take on something difficult, especially when you're terrified of it. And your actions told me you were scared of doing this, even if your words didn't."

"Yeah, well, what's the point in telling when it's all laid out on a silver platter for you?" she said with annoyance, scoffing at herself.

"Somehow, you still pushed on. You kept wanting to continue. Even refusing to take breaks when Thirteen kept saying to take a rest. You insisted on it, even though I could feel that you didn't want to, and you're hating this. So why? Why are you pushing yourself so hard to do this?" The bluntness of the question dove into her, digging around for the right answer. Kairi held herself silent, tracing nonsensical patterns along the bricks of the wall. Her mind churned with the simple of answer of "it's important." Of course it was, so was everything else they were learning. They were training to be heroes, everything they learned was vital. So what made this so different, so much that it was pushing against her. She closed her eyes, recalling the day when for a few moments, Shoto was still and hadn't taken a breath. She swallowed the hiccup in her chest. The memory snapped a flicker of fear again. She curled her hands against each other, fidgeting once more.

"What if I have to dive further than a simple river to save someone? What if I have to run into the ocean and quickly retrieve a victim that's harder to get to than you were? What if five more seconds could have made the difference? If I held my breath for five seconds less, I couldn't have saved you. Five more seconds, they said. You might have been dead. I couldn't... I _can't_ let that happen to anyone else, Shoto. I need to push myself as far as I possibly can. I need to jump in and save as many as I can."

The urgency in her words had gripped a hold of him, pulling forward a burst of adoration. The way her eyes expanded as she spoke, determined need reflecting in the brightness of her pupils. Her words and her expression held a boldness not often seen in her. Whatever this was in her, it was ferocious in its desire. She wanted to save people. Of course she did, she was a hero, that was a part of the description. But there had been nothing, not even in her moments of reacting to her favorite shows or how strongly invested she got in video games, that had burned so strongly in her before. Looking to destroy bad guys, wanting to prevent a villain from harming another. Of course those things mattered to her and she wanted to know them. But it was making sure the victim was safe, doing everything in her power to assure that the victim would be all right; those were the things she was excelling at. Need pulled at his arm to place a cradling hand against her cheek. Embarrassed, Kairi quickly turned away from the touch. Pink flourished in her face just as he remembered them being in clear view of the rest of the class.

"Later," she whispered. He nodded.

"Right, sorry..." His own whisper cracking, he cleared his throat. "You are simply... amazing. The need to pull people out of a dangerous situation and attend to them; it's driven you further than anything else we've learned in class as. That drive is fueled by your strong emotions, I have no doubt of that. It's a real gift, your quirk. I want you to understand that. The more you progress in class, the more it's evident to me that your emotions are much more of a blessing than anything else. Sure, they can be inconvenient but it's you have improved _so much _since you've begun class with us. And you're learning how to use them and what you're best as. Riri I am... so, so proud of the person you've become. These rescue and safety classes we're taking have really drawn you in. You're doing well, so much better than some of even the best in our class."

Warmth flowed through her, dancing in tandem with the part of her that was drifting on the melody of Shoto's voice. A gentle giggle escaped her as her mind fogged, giving her the inability to think of a proper response. Perhaps water had gotten into her eyes, but they seemed to mist as a humble pride spilled out of her. Guilt tried to push it down, but its cry to stop being so proud was soft. As his mismatched eyes beheld her, keeping his attention, it felt impossible to leave his gaze. In doing so, it forced the words to sink and imbed themselves. It had been true. The last couple of days, these classes that Thirteen led had filled her with an insistent passion none of the other lessons had given her. She wanted to know what to do. Imagining how she would best apply the methods learned, and committing each step to memory had ignited a purpose in her. Something about them echoed through her so clearly, and she wanted to know more.

Kairi nodded, adding nothing more. She pushed herself off the wall back towards the water and dipped her head back. She held out her hand again for Shoto to take. Still wearing his pride for her, he floated back to her. He placed a hand to her, reminding her he was right by her side should she need it. Kairi closed her eyes. She slowly drew in a breath through her nostrils and allowed his pride to fill her with encouragement. Clearing her mind til it was blank, Kairi dropped below the surface. Shoto did not release his hold on her once.

School had been strange that day. Their breathing exercises felt so personal and intimate, she had once again thought about the dangers of dating Shoto. Thankfully, she was able to discuss the issues with her counselor that day. While part of what she had told had caused her heart to smile with confidence, in five minutes that had all disappeared. She seemed to agree with Kairi's assessment – that if she built trust with Shoto, they could pursue some kind of relationship, but it may take some time. A connection with him, being together, that was something that could really happen if they played it slow. The minute she returned to the dorm, those feelings had vanished and she was back to stressing again.

There was no time to focus on that. With dinner nearing, she only had so little time to get to work with her project. Noting the gathering area was mostly empty with the exception of Ashido scrolling on her phone, she marched into the kitchen. Needing to crawl atop the counters a bit to reach a few of the cupboards, Kairi gathered several baking ingredients. The assortments of containers, measuring utensils, bags and bowls wound up her insides with frustration. Slighted anger pulled at her as she considered this – she hated baking. Cooking was fun but baking had to be so precise and exact. It allowed for too much room for error. But she was convinced to do this. Doubt told her to ask Sato for help, but her pride stopped it. This was for Shoto, and she wanted to do it all herself. Kairi rolled her sleeves and fished out the old apron tucked away in one of the drawers. She tied back her hair and pulled up the recipe she had pinned two days ago.

"Just follow the recipe exact and you'll be fine. It doesn't have to be gourmet, it just has to be good," she muttered to herself. Daunted by some of the more complicated flavors, she settled on a simple vanilla cake earlier and began to work. Thankfully, Shoto had wanted to see his mother that day, so she had time to work. Moving at a pace she was certain was much slower than an experienced baker would, she made sure to keep her stirring consistent as she mixed all the wet ingredients. As the batter finally came together, she checked the recipe four times before filling its pan and leaving it to bake. The twenty-five minutes of waiting were torturous as she tried to engage with Ashido over funny memes and making faces in the Instagram filters.

The timer pulled her out of her seat and she rushed to retrieve it. Annoyed with having to wait yet again for it to cool, she was forced to run to her room. She chose _Seawall _as her distraction over homework, her fingers desperate to kill ogres and goblins. It was the moment when the cake was finally distant from her mind when Momo knocked at her door to tell her dinner was ready. With a jumpy flourish, she closed her laptops and followed her. Shoto's appearance at their table stole half her attention, while she spent the other half staring at the fridge that held that damn cake. Briefly, she caught conversation as Yuga read a news update about those who had gotten quirks through QuirKey were beginning to see them lessen in power, the earliest losing her powers completely. Whatever they had done had only been temporary anyway, it seemed. She withdrew her attention for a moment to look over the article, then went right back to glaring at the fridge. She needed to frost that cake before Shoto saw it!

While he seemed to take his sweet time trying to ask her questions and eating his dinner slowly, Kairi could not stop her twitching. It was when she finally said she needed to do some homework (not a lie) and that she would stop by later that night to see him that he left the table. Her friends looked at her strangely, sensing the stress she was spilling over. Kairi left for her dorm for fifteen minutes. By the time she returned to the gathering area, the staff was cleaning the last of dinner away and the only people in the gathering area were Kaminari and Jiro, who had both waved to her.

Breathing out the intensity that had formed within her, she sought to work. After fighting for several minutes, it finally started to look like a cake. While the frosting wasn't glamorous by any mean and definitely appeared as if an amateur had frosted it, a bubble of joy still filled her. Adding a few raspberries on top, she balanced the tray carefully. She picked up a small bag she had prepped earlier and slowly began to carry the lot up the steps. These were the moments she wished he hadn't lived on the top floor.

Hands full, Kairi was forced to use her shoe to knock at the door. Fumbling around could be heard inside just before the door opened. Seeing her standing before him, Shoto popped his earbud pieces out. Wide eyes and a gaping mouth looked at the tray of cake she held in front of him, a pencil dropping from his hand. Kairi smiled shyly, swallowing. The imperfection of the cake became glaringly obvious to her at that point. Still, her eyes begged with hope, waiting for some other response besides being flabbergasted.

"Happy birthday," she replied quietly.

"Kairi..."

"I wasn't sure what you would like and honestly, I'm not the best baker so I just went with a simply vanilla cake. And yes, I know the frosting job is terrible! I should have had Sato help but I got too arrogant and was insistent on doing it myself which was stupid really..." Her heart sped with the tumbling of her words. "I was hoping the raspberries would add something to it but I mean if I'm honest that was really a ridiculous notion, they're not even spaced and the frosting is uneven too so why-"

"Kairi," he interrupted again. Shoto shot his wrist forward, gently leading her into the room. Her mouth shut as every doubt fell around her. He closed the door once she was inside, eyes falling right back to her. Then, he looked at the cake. Drawn in as if it were magical and luminescent, be beheld it with welling eyes. "I... haven't had a cake since... well, it's been awhile."

"Oh."

"I don't know what you're talking about it, it's... lovely, if I'm honest."

"It is?"

"Yeah. I like the raspberries, actually..."

"Oh..." Relieved, she placed the cake on the desk and began to pull out plates and a knife from the bag she had carried. In moments, they were sitting on his floor and enjoying the dessert together. "How did it go with your mom today?"

"It was good. She bought me a comic book."

"A _comic book_?" Kairi nearly spat.

"You've been a bad influence on me, I guess. Can you imagine if my father knew I was reading comics, playing video games? He would rant about how I'm doing something useless with my time and I should be training. God, if I had met you earlier in life maybe I would have actually done more interesting things than train all the time."

"Yeah and maybe I would have gotten control of my quirk more," Kairi said wistfully, scraping at the remnants of her plate.

"Hey, don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Your progress has nothing to do with me."

"Yes it does, I mean... you've helped me find some control. You've given me confidence, you've shown me how to gauge my emotions and balance them." Shoto shook his head.

"That wasn't just me. That was me and our friends. And all we did was give you some encouragement and support. All the control, finding the confidence, figuring out how to channel things and balance it all... that was completely you. We gave you some guidance to help you find what was already there. Besides that..." Shoto swiped a ribbon of frosting from the cake, dropping it on the tip of her nose. "Do not invalidate the progress you'd made or think that by conquering it later than the rest of us that makes you less of a hero. Everyone moves at their own pace. There are heroes today who didn't even attend hero school. It makes it easier of course, but it's not impossible. You are exactly who you need to be, where you need to be, and we are all so proud of everything you do." Everything in her soul melted, seeping out and warming her nerves.

"Come on!" she scolded, reaching to touch the tears clinging to her eyes. The warmth spilled over, illuminating the aura around them and drawing forth a tender gaze from the boy beside her. He pressed a hand into her back as she was unable hold back the fluffy feelings. "This is about making you feel good, not me!"

"What do you think making you happy makes me?" he chuckled, reaching to wipe away the tears. His other hand slid back into hers, gripping it tight. "Do you really have homework?"

"Yes..." she sniffled, just before she pointed to the skewed papers on her desk. "You look like you still do too." His sigh was large as his shoulders dropped.

"Yes..." He dropped his head onto her shoulder, just to cast her a plead in his mismatched eyes. "Can you spare an hour?" It was impossible to keep the giggle from sliding out of her. Kairi nodded, her cheeks heating again. Brightening, he tilted her chin with gentle grace. "Good."

He leaned in to kiss her, leaving a drop of frosting on her cheek.


	66. The First Response

The cold bit fiercely as the group ventured back out onto the sidewalk. Kairi pulled at her scarf, hiding from the harshness around them. They had spent the last week studying safety procedure, rescue tactics, and methods of advanced first aid. They covered demonstrations in class, but once home, they were meant to spend time thoroughly reviewing diagrams and reading through their textbooks. The aggressive studying didn't seem to have the same impact as it did when they were learning how to investigate a situation, or when they studied how to read villains, for the most part. That much was action-packed, the stuff one would see in films when a movie about a loved superhero came out. First responder material was the kind of content often skipped over when a film was shown on the big screen, and many seemed to become drained by it, no matter how important it was. There were the few who were still attentive to it, but it was only a handful of the class. Even Shoto, who excelled in nearly everything in class, was finding his attention drift from it slightly. Though, part of that could be attributed to how often he and Kairi found excuses to study together. But Kairi quickly became absorbed in her studies around it, in a way she had never found herself to be. As a result, most of her friends had pleaded with her to take a break with them and go out for a movie. After Shoto expressed a strong desire to go, she found it impossible to turn him down. So for the next few hours, she left the textbook and researched websites alone to join in the newest film, a box office hit that had only just come out. It was hard for her to not be restless throughout the film, as much as she enjoyed it.

"Who kills the main character in the middle of the film!" Momo expressed, as the group chattered out of the cinema.

"That seems as if it was the art of the film," said Iida. "He was never meant to be the main character; it was a device used to the trick the audience!"

"It seemed the focus shifted to his sister, _ribbit_," said Tsu thoughtfully as they walked down the street. "Representing how she was always overlooked her whole life because her brother always had the bigger quirk and was destined for great things. But her quirk turned out to be just as great and useful, if not moreso, even if it seemed more subtle."

"Hm," Shoto replied thoughtfully, eyeing Kairi as she remained quiet while walking behind the bulk of them.

"I found the ending to be the most thrilling of them all!" answered Yuga, sounded passionate in his answer. "The whole time, her best friend was the one who had always seen her potential and held her so high, and yet she never seemed to value it til the end! Oh, I shed a single tear when her friend finally confessed their love for her and she found she loved them back! What a beautiful way to end it!"

"It really illustrated how the most unexpected person can become a hero," Izuku said, who had still been a bright red from how close he had tried to sit to Uraraka throughout the whole movie. She also, was inexplicably growing suspiciously bright.

"Yeah! It really was inspiring!" she said. "I admit I struggled to follow the first fifteen minutes..."

"It started slow and subtle," Izuku offered as a response. The comment finally drew Kairi's eyes, exchanging a knowing gaze with Shoto.

"Not as subtle as hiding your holding hands under your coat," Shoto coughed out lowly. Kairi snickered quietly, her hand flying over her mouth to cover it up.

"You okay over there?" Uraraka said.

"Uh, yeah, perfectly fine!" Kairi said hurriedly, still giving Shoto a mischievous smile.

"Why don't we get something to eat?" Yuga said, pointing down the length of sidewalk where a café waited some several blocks down. "I'm positively famished and it's nearing dinner time!"

"Uh, well, I kinda want to get back to studying," Kairi answered softly.

"Another hour won't kill us," Momo said with begging eyes. "And besides, you've been pouring over those books harder than anyone."

"That's true. I can't recall the last time you've offered to speak so much in class," Iida said.

"You've also been incredibly focused in class," Yuga said, hanging back to walk alongside Kairi and Shoto. "Something about our rescue lessons has really captivated you, hasn't it?"

"If you're eager to get back..." Shoto began, gesturing towards the direction of the closest bus stop. A scan over her friends faces told her all their emotions in that moment. They smiled for her benefit, but it was all forced. They looked excited to finally get out of the dorm and have some fun, and looked disappointed for her to be wanting to go home so badly. Her guilt clenched. She _was_ getting some of the highest marks on her work the last week or so, and she hadn't stopped to take a break to watch anything or play her game even. A reminder from her counselor to recognize when she needed a break and to take care of herself reverbed in her mind. She desperately wanted to continue going over her notes so much that they would just be second nature to her should a rescue situation occur. But the logic just wriggled through her. It just felt right. Kairi mentally shoved aside at that desperation, choosing to follow through on her friends desires. Not only was important to keep close to her friends, but she needed to learn to take a break now and then.

"What's another hour?" she asked, surrendering with a smile. Her friends seemed to light up and carry on down the sidewalk. With skips in their strides, they pushed on through the icy weather. Kairi rolled her gloved hands together, trying to arise more warmth beyond the thing fabric. It wasn't an empty part of town, but it was less quiet. Her friends had taken great care to choose this part of the city to help made things a bit easy for Kairi, especially since she hadn't originally wanted to go out. It was hard to know if this part of town was older and a little more worn looking because it was more mellow, or if was the opposite effect. While clean and friendly, many of the buildings on the outside had a much more rustic look which could make one wonder if perhaps they were up to code or not. It was hard to not notice the tall apartment building across from the café that had seen better days. It was industrial in its look and some of the siding was discolored. The integrity of one or two balconies were suspicious, but a corner of the building did seem to be covered by plastic with a company's name plastered all over it. So it was hopeful it was getting a major remodel done to it.

The host greeted them as they slid into the café. It was one of those cafes that had a humble appearance and wasn't often thought of as anything special; but their reviews were fantastic and their staff and food was always exquisite. Shoto excused himself to head to the restroom while the others took their seats at the table they were showed. Kairi looked up at the apartment building across from the street, following the curiosity spark at some strange fluttering movement. Once the wind revealed it had been the plastic on the remodel, her gut settled and she returned to the menu.

A buzz moaned against her purse and Kairi hand flew to fish it out. The screen lit up with the unwelcome characters and she punched the red button. Shaking her head, she dropped her phone back into her purse. Momo looked on with concern.

"Have you told her you want nothing to do with her yet?" she whispered quietly. Kairi pouted, defeat falling on her.

"I... I haven't found the strength to."

"You shouldn't really keep just ignoring her calls and texts," Momo reminded. Her throat tightened by her conscience's reminder.

"I... know that," she sighed, eyes falling on a listing for a sandwich she thought looked nice. "I've been telling her I've been busy with schoolwork. Which is true enough but... I just..." She looked up again, catching a shadow across the flutter on the plastic. But it didn't look natural. The shadow moved and seemed out of place. Suspicion pulled her from her seat.

"Kairi?" Yuga asked as she paced towards the window. The shadow was gone again, but she kept her gaze on it. The girl narrowed her eyes, watching closely.

"Is everything all right?" Iida asked. Tsu looked on with concern. Izuku frowned and slowly rose from his own seat, watching.

The shadow came back. Something moved in an arch, almost waving down at them. The shadow was small, barely noticeable, but it had a striking appearance to-

"That's a hand," Kairi said. Vigilance rose in her gut, causing the others to tear from their seats and run to the window. She pulled at the door and stepped out on the sidewalk. There was a very quiet wind, softening the city's sounds around them. Kairi pushed her focus, dampening the sudden emotions that were trying to work up a worry. If she was worried and frantic, that wouldn't help her now and she needed to calm herself. Taking in several breaths, she turning her attention to the building. There; another shouting. And the quietest, most tender of cries ever to be heard.

"_Help..._" it said. It wasn't even clear the age range, or the gender of such a voice. Not that any of that mattered. Someone was stuck in that reconstruction, trying to wave something down and crying out.

"There's someone stuck up there!" she cried through the still open door of the café. The groups scuffling could be heard just as she let it slam behind her, darting across the street.

Shoto emerged from the restroom, coolly making his way to the table his friends were sitting. But they were gathered near the large window, just as the café door fell shut. The three other patrons in the café clamored up from their tables and ran to the other window. A server left a table to run to the door to look out it, while the other three behind the counter clamored about for something to do, one of them picking up a phone. Izuku pulled away from the group and apologized to the server as he pushed her aside and ran out the door. Tsu was close behind him.

"What is going on?" Shoto asked, staring out the window with the rest of his remaining friends.

"Kairi saw something... heard something... I'm not sure," Yuga stammered, as he pointed at the scaffolding. "She said someone is stuck up there and ran across the street." Having enough information, Shoto turned away and ran out the door himself.

Kairi stood at the base of the building, looking between the narrow gaps of the alleyway and assessing the environment she was working with. The screaming had become louder and was a little clearer, but the easy wind had still removed most of its din.

"There _is _someone up there!" Izuku said, giving her a proud look. She ignored it, deciding now was not the time to be flattered. She was looking across, noticing that since the building was older, there didn't seem to be any visible escape route in case of an emergency. And even if there were, it might be covered by the scaffolding and plastic around the side.

"I need to get up there," Kairi said, seeing Shoto come up behind Tsu. Her eyes looked over to the café, watching her friends stream out one by one. "Are you able to shoot your ice to make something that can be climbed?"

"I can't make anything that complex," he said. "Not yet anyway. The most I can make is something similar to a slide and you will have a hell of a time getting up that." Her attention went to Momo, having just joined the group.

"Are you able to make a ladder?"

"I can..." she replied sheepishly. "But for something that big to reach that high, it's going to take some time..." Kairi swore quietly, and then looked over a dumpster, then at the row of air conditioning units. Her eyes followed up, seeing a pipe trail around the building and disappear under the bottom of the plastic covering. Under the material, was a complicated side of framing and scaffolding she could use to her heart's delight. Her mind zoomed, connecting the angles of the path. She would have to move quickly, and it was possible some of it wasn't very stable. But whatever was going on, whatever situation this, someone could be trapped and it was possible there was no time to worry about it. She needed to act, right away.

He watched the way her eyes moved, guiding over the makeshift journey. Slowly, as it came to him what she was planning, connecting her path, his gut fell. He knew her too well to know exactly what she was coming up with. He had seen her during their training battles; he had watched the way she analyzed not so obvious routes in video games, and he had first seen that look; that startling, intense, focused look he had become so endeared to and admired so much. She had a knock to just look at the distance between things and was aware of her own abilities to know how any angles lay between them, if she could make the distance, and how she would need to contort her own body to do so.

"I've called the police!" shouted one of the servers from the café. "They're on their way!"

"They won't get here in time," Kairi said coolly. The coat was bulky, restraining her too tightly. Quickly, she began to drop her gloves and then her scarf. The hat fell to the ground. The coat fell with a heavy thunk. The cold's sharpness was instant and began to seep into her bones. Shuddering away all thoughts of just how much she was freezing, she took a sharp breath and slipped off her panda sweatshirt. Shoto took it from her quickly, horrified at how quickly she was about to just drop it onto the ground. But his terror was deeper for her, as the entire group watched her step out of her jeans and her boots. She was standing in nothing but a t-shirt, leggings, and socks.

"_What_ are you _doing_?" Shoto hissed.

"I can't hesitate," she said, pulling a hair tie off her wrist and winding it around her head. Icy razorblades wound themselves around her as the wind picked up again. Her body rippled in protest. "A few seconds could mean all the difference, remember?"

"At the risk of yourself?" he asked.

"The police are going to take their time!" she snapped, scowling. She placed a foot on the edge of the dumpster. "There's nothing around here to get us up there safely, Momo will take too long. Nobody here has a quirk that will help us out fast enough. I can't fight and I can't strategize and I haven't grasped the ability to make decisions without emotions mucking it up. But what I am is the best damn climber in the class, a fact you have even pointed out on multiple occasions. When it comes to saving someone you can't hesitate."

"But without your clothes?" Tsu said. "Once you're up there you're going to freeze!"

"Hopefully I can jump in and jump out in time... but I can climb faster without all this shit. If I can't get out quickly, well... I guess we'll figure it out once I know the situation."

"This building is old! That scaffolding doesn't look stable," Shoto said quickly. His insides were caving in, a strange panic beginning to rise. He usually was able to keep his cool, in even the worst of situations. But his soul was fretting, pleading for him to listen to his words. "What if you get hurt?"

"Occupational hazard of a hero, remember?" she reminded him calmly. She waited for the flopping in her center to happen, the response that told her this was scary, and she shouldn't do it. But then, she reminded herself there was no time to focus on that fear. If she did, she may back out and not want to save whoever this was. Then, she would be completely useless as a hero. It was a vital to get help to whoever needed it, she couldn't fall into that fear. Hard as it was, she screamed internally that it was vital to do this. She needed to help. But Shoto still looked at her fearfully. Never had she noticed such a look on him. He had been involved in terrifying things, had to fight monstrous villains in the past. Yet he had always looked so collected. Not this time though. He looked anxious. Her heart tugged, recognizing it was because he feared for _her_.

Kairi shot out a hand, gripping his wrist.

"I know," she said. "But you know I can do this. I'm a rescuer." A timid smile broke through his worry.

"Yes." He reached forward and firmly took her hand. "You are." With a less than comforting smile, Kairi launched herself up, hanging by her fingertips on the air conditioning box. Shoto spun, holding a commanding finger to Momo.

"Momo, start making that ladder, please!" Without protest she began to fumble through her jacket, digging until she turned away from her friends and faced the wall, opening her shirt.


	67. The Symbol of Emotion

Swinging around and under the row of A/C units, she crept her hand across the wall and snatched a hold of the pipe. Assessing the material with concern, noting how weak it felt, she moved slower. Kairi shut her eyes, swearing to not notice the cold now becoming incredibly bitter, and decided to risk it. Her feet left the unit and she was forced to pull her whole weight onto the pipe. She was swinging three stories above the alleyway, listening to friends cry out and cheer her on. As much as their encouragement made her crave to look down, she avoided doing so. One glance at how far away she was and how carelessly she was swinging on the pipe could make her lose her nerve and freeze her. One hand reached forward, pushed away the plastic. The pipe groaned under her weight and forced her to move faster. Just as she slid onto a scaffolding landing beyond the plastic, the pipe cracked and fell away. She heard it rumble against the ground as her friends exclaimed with surprise. She held a thumbs up towards them, indicating she was all right. Shoto's cry was the loudest, overjoyed at the announcement.

He couldn't stand pacing, balling his fist under the cloth of her sweatshirt. He was so angry, with how reckless she was being. How easily she just threw herself into danger and acted on her emotions. Again. How could she put herself in harm's way like that? She didn't think, she didn't consider how it could make him feel, didn't let her fear take a hold of and just jumped in and did it.

Shoto froze, thinking back over his thoughts. Yes, he was furious. He was afraid she was going to hurt herself, be injured and yet he didn't consider the other person that could be hurt. If Kairi wasn't there, he absolutely would have thrown himself in and done it at a moment's notice, if he had been able. But he hadn't been able, and Kairi had. He was the one feeling his emotions and letting them cloud his judgment. She had already considered the alternatives. He couldn't do it. Momo couldn't do it fast enough. The police would take too long, and she had been correct – seconds could make all the difference. They were _heroes_. This is what they were training to do. This was real life practice. Kairi didn't take time for her fear to set in and talk her out of her. She analyzed, processed, and took action. She had let her emotions guide her, using her compassion, vigilance, desperation, and fear to guide her enough to recognize someone needed help and the situation could be urgent. Then, once she had let them led her to urgency, all the training she had done, all the counseling to get her to the point to let logic calm her and assess what the situation needed kicked in. Kairi had gone beyond her quirk. The situation was important enough, that she just reacted and the logic came on her own. When Kairi had enough care, felt strongly enough about it, she could talk herself into a mental calm and let logic guide her through.

"Damn it," he whispered to himself, looking up at the reconstruction equipment. "You've made so much progress Kairi. You've really done it. Something in you clicked and you have found some control of your quirk. You are a rescuer." Oh the irony, of him being the one to fret and worry. He smirked at himself. He had been angry, and he couldn't stop his worry. But the anger was incredibly selfish. As he continued to pace, his friends encouraging calls up to her creating the background to his thoughts, he continued to consider himself. He was scared, yes. But right now, she had not only proved how far she had come in training, in progress, in going beyond herself and her quirk, but had really shone the truth of a hero. There was no doubt a flood of emotions was flowing through her at the moment; he had felt their echoes. Still, she had chosen to do away with them and instead focus on her task, on saving someone. What a strong example of courage, of bravery. Never had been so proud of her before. Never had he found her so admirable, so attractive, and never had he... felt as strongly as he did before. Shoto turned back, stopped his pacing. He lifted his voices with his friends.

"Come on Riri! You can do it! You were made for this!"

She had been deft in her movements, applying as little pressure and moving as fast as possible across the thin metal arms of structure woven together. Kairi raised her leg, lifting herself up to an elevated landing. The cry had become much clear and she had using it as her compass, guiding her over the mess of foundations. It was very young sounding, likely a child. The discovery caused her to move quickly until she rolled out onto the landing. Small, terrified eyes stared up at as her. A frightened child, as she had thought, no more than five years old.

"Help! Help!" called the child. That was when she noticed he was laying on his back. A ragged looking ball of something grey and speckled rested on top of his wrist. A gnarly seeping red gash pulsed across his arm. A look over it told Kairi the gash had been caused from it trying to wriggle out from under it and it had cut him as it did. It was too heavy for his small body to move. Breaking from the shock, Kairi ran to him. He wasn't dressed for the weather it seemed, wearing just a t-shirt and jeans, with some shoes.

_Keep calm, _she told herself. _Keep calm. He needs you to be calm_.

"I'm hurt! I'm stuck! Help!" he screamed, louder. Kairi dropped to her knees in front of him, immediately reaching for the cement chunk. She heaved at the feel of it, slightly bigger than a bowling ball. With some effort, she easily pushed it away. The wrist was contorted unnaturally; a sliver of white spike from the glint of gore and deep crimson that swirled across his arm. Terror mingled with sickly uneasiness she felt in her churning gut. His eyes grew more frantic as her emotions tried to expand. Seeing how he responded to her quirk shifted her mind suddenly. She couldn't. It was vital she get a control on herself. Fear had no place her, nor did disgust. She was a hero. She was a rescuer. If she was going to save this boy, she was going to have to make sure he stayed calm.

She thought about the nights she spent studying with Shoto. She thought about his scent, a fresh musk mingled with the smell of crisp earth. How he was waiting for her, how scared he was for her. For a moment, it had made her angry, but she also told herself it was because he cared for her deeply. Never had she seen such an impression on him and his affection for her was so strong, she had made him concerned for her safely. Unable to deny the smile that rose to her, she heard the breathing of the boy even. He still shook from the cold and winced at the pain, but her contentedness caused him to calm. Praying she could hold it, she got to work.

"What's your name?" she asked, taking a look at his eyes. They seemed normal, aside from the tears that still fell from them. His nose was also running a little, which was also normal, considering the cold.

"Isao..." he answered quietly. Kairi looked at the mangled red mess on his arm, pushing away the sickly motion in her. "I feel sick."

"No, no, no that's just... you're just in a lot of pain and it's making you feel sick!" she lied.

"Who are you? You ran up here like a superhero... my arm, it really hurts!" Fear was beginning to settle again. Kairi focused more on images, memories that calmed her. Talking and laughing with her father at home. Having lunch with friends. Listening to Shoto over the phone as she drifted off to sleep.

"Your arm is badly damaged," she explained quickly, trying not to look at it and glancing at her mostly clean socks. She sighed in defeat and pulled them off before tying them together.

"Are they going to chop it off?!"

"No..." she said with confidence. "It's broken and you have a bad cut. But that's something that can be fixed."

"My brother says that sometimes when you hurt your arm really bad it needs to be ampit-hated."

"Uhh..." She ignored the correction. "While that's true, you just have a bad cut and a broken bone. It looks gross, like really icky, but you don't look like you've lost that much blood." She began to wrap the socks around the arm, watching as they quickly became red. "We're getting you help. My friends and I... we're all training to be heroes. I'm..." She paused, considering what name to give. "I'm the Emotive Iris. And they're all waiting to help you as well. The police are coming as well."

"The police?!" he gasped, breaking into a fit of tears. "I'm in so much trouble! My brother was supposed to be watching me but mommy and he fought and then he locked me in my room and told me to just play and then he decided to call his girlfriend and talk for a long time and told me I couldn't come in and so I used my quirk to sneak out!"

"What's your quirk?" she asked, trying to keep him calm and distracted.

"I turn into goo and I can use it to get under doors and slip out unnoticed. There's supposed to be a towel in front of my door so I can't slip out when no one is looking but my brother forgot to put it down and I didn't want to be locked in my room and I wanted to play but he wouldn't play he just wanted to go and talk to his girlfriend."

"Then you're not in trouble, but it sounds like your brother is. He should have been watching you," she said calmly, trying to keep those pesky emotions away from her calmness. He didn't need that. He needed to be calm. He needed to trust her and know he was safe. She finished bandaging with the sock. "And then what happened? When you left?"

"I thought this looked like a playground and my quirk ran out so I started to play on it but I tried and this rock fell on me and it hurt me and I've been here for a very very very long long time and I tried to use my quirk to escape but it doesn't work if I'm in pain or tired and I need time to come back from it anyway." Kairi placed a hand to his pulse, counting. Normal for his age and weight. In the distance, the wail of sirens carried on the wind. Hope sang joyously through her. "Your name is funny. What is A-me-tiff Eyelids?"

"Emotive Iris. Emotive means emotional. I have an emotional quirk that's really powerful. And Iris is like... well I guess it means a lot of things."

"Like what?"

"Well, it's a flower and I always thought myself as fragile, weak, and small, like a flower. But I guess I also like flowers so it's not a bad thing."

"You're a hero, you can't be weak." She grinned brightly.

"Can you stand?"

"My leg hurts a little but, not like my arm."

"Do you hurt anywhere else?" He shook his head. Kairi looked across the mess of scaffolding. He wouldn't be able to walk across that. And she wouldn't be able to climb like she did. Her chest clenched, but she scared it off with her threatening thoughts. "Isao, I need to give you a piggyback ride, okay?"

"Um okay..." he said quietly, sounding a bit unsure. Kairi bit her lip, forcing herself to continue the conversation.

"But I guess an iris has many meanings. Irises come in many colors, which I guess is also like my emotions. I have many emotions and they're all strong, but my quirk still helps."

"How so?"

"You were scared before right? And now you're not?"

"Well, I am a little but now that you're here I know I'm okay because you're a hero!" Kairi turned around and he used his one good arm to pull himself onto her back. She reached around, taking a hold of his legs around her middle. The cold was crinkling her bones now. Her shivering grew more intense.

"Well, that's because I was calm. And I can make you feel what I feel. So it made you not scared!"

"Really...?"

"Yeah and... and, erm... I mean and iris is an old-fashioned term for like a flag or a symbol of some kind. I guess it's kind of like you know All Might? He was called the Symbol of Peace? I guess I want to be called the Symbol of Emotion, because I want to show people that emotion is a strength, not a weakness." He was quiet for a moment. Her breath halted. "Isao?"

"I'm getting tired."

"No...!" she called, her body frantic. "No, no, you need to stay awake!" His shivering was growing intense, her body vibrating under the motion of his chills. "Isao, please, we're almost there..." Carefully, she stepped over the weak beams, knowing their combined weight might be too much. Balancing the boy against her, she scooted across the scaffolding, careful as she possibly could. "Do you have any pets? Do you like animals?"

"I have a cat. She's seven."

"Is she nice? What's her name?"

"Well... I mean she's... I'm dizzy."

"Isao, stay awake please!" She dipped her head out, looking at the group gathered below. The sirens were aggressively loud, red and blue lights raving just around the corner. Kairi breathed, more help filling her. She looked at them, anxiously pacing before her. Momo was slowly pulling out was seemed to be a ladder from her chest, but she was moved far too slowly. Isao was started to show symptoms of hypothermia and she needed to get him out now. "Isao do you like slides?"

"Yeah..." he mumbled.

"Okay," she said. Kairi took a deep breath, leaning out of the opening of the scaffolding. She pushed aside the plastic flap.

"_SHOTO I NEED A SLIDE!_" she screamed above their heads. Shoto had been wandering below them, feeling useless and worried. But his belief in Kairi also invigorated him and he stood patiently, if not also restless. When she called from above, energy zipped in him. He called back before motioning for everyone to clear the area. He concentrated, building the strength in his right side. Shoto raised his hand, holding it against the ground. Then, ice shot from his palm, quickly crystallizing in an upwards motion. The ice gathered in a crude slide formation, stopping just below the scaffolding in front of them. Kairi smiled her thanks down at him. He nodded, anxiety written on his face.

"Isao... I'm going to send you down the slide, okay? My friends will catch you. This is just a really big slide and they are all right there to catch you, got it?" Kairi steadied herself, just as she reached back to pull him away from her back, mindful of his broken arm.

"My arm still hurts...!" he cried, but he sounded too tired to do much about it. _I have to act quickly._ Gingerly, she heaved him against her hip before taking care to place him at the top of the ice slid. She looked down at her friends, exchanging assured eyes. Kairi let him go, and carefully touched him with her foot. Slowly, he began to move down the icy half-pipe, gravity taking him. Momentum pulled him faster, and just before he reached the end, Tsu's tongue spat towards him. Isao curled up in the length of her amphibious appendage. As soon as she held his shuddering body against her, she released her tongue's hold. Shoto chucked Kairi's panda sweatshirt towards them. Wails blared through the air as white and black cars emerged in the hue of red and blue shadows. Another siren warbled not far behind, and a large white vehicle stopped just short of the alley.

"Get them on him!" he shouted, just before standing at the bottom of the slide, waiting.

Kairi was already flinging herself down the length of the ice shoot. The chill was agony against the thin fabric on her legs, the rushing speed even cooler. It was difficult to recall a time when such circumstances had combined and made her so incredibly cold. As fierce as everything was, it was over in a moment. Shoto swept her up the minute she was close enough. The two of them tumbled backwards leaving him to take the brunt of the fall.

"Gaah!" he called out just as he smacked against the ground.

"Are you okay?" Kairi quickly hurriedly. Her hand rested the front of his chest. Though it was covered by sever layers of clothing, she could faintly feel the rush of his heart. It sped so quickly, it seemed almost ready to fly from him.

"I should be asking you that," he coughed. A brief moment felt her smile, but her memory snapped back to the boy. Kairi pulled away from Shoto to see Isao swaddled in her sweatshirt. Still in bare feet, she ran across the rough ground. She scooped up her coat from where it had been discarded and pushed it into the boy and Tsu.

"Momo!" she shouted, seeing her friend holding a simple wooden ladder. "Break it down! Shoto, ignite a few pieces of the fire and make sure the boy stays close to it!"

"Uhh," was all Momo said, taking a moment to struggle before she snapped the tips of the ladder off. Shoto rolled back to his feet, already holding a small flame against his palm. He ignited the wood as Momo handed it off and then kept himself really close to Tsu as she continued to hold the boy.

"Hey, don't go to sleep now or you'll miss the chance to see the great hero who saved you!" Tsu told him cheerfully.

"Why are you a frog? Whyare... the buildings mov-moving... what is... how did I get here?"

"He's confused and he's slowing down," Kairi panted. Finally allowing her emotion to set in, the panic surged. Adrenaline canceled out the cold as she ran towards him again. The girl placed a hand against his neck, counting again. "It's slowing. Shoto hold that flame closer!" He did as she commanded, maintaining a safe distance to avoid burning the boy but did so as he unzipped his coat.

"You are taking this – _now_," he growled, dropping the coat from his shoulders and handing it to her. "Get your jeans back on and put your boots on. And get into the café. Right this minute."

"No! I need to make sure he's okay!" Kairi screamed.

"Kairi, you know I think it's atrocious for a man to command a woman but considering the circumstances, if you don't listen to me this minute, you and I are going to have a very serious talk. Take. My. Fucking. Coat." His words were seething as flames lit in his expression. Too startled to argue, Kairi took the coat from him and quickly pulled the clothes back on. The warmth wasn't instantaneous, but there was a security to it that soothed the ferocity in her soul. Two paramedics flew from the ambulance, wheeling a stretcher towards the alley. Another jumped out of the cab, zipping to Kairi. Three police officers emerged from their cars, joining the others at the scene.

"We got him," said one of the paramedics, pulling Isao from Tsu.

"He needs to be treated for hypothermia!" Kairi yelled, Shoto's coat sagging off her small form.

"We'll take care of him, promise," said the other paramedic with tenderness. Kairi eased, just as the moment the third medic reached her and gestured for her to head to the ambulance.

"We're going to need to take a look at you as well," he said.

"I'm fine!" she spat. "He needs your attention right now. I've only been exposed to the cold for a few minutes-"

"Kairi." Shoto's voice was softer now, begging for her to comply. She cast her eyes to him, unable to deny the sweetness that lie there. A longing, an ache for her to just obey. A concern for her well being lit by something special. Weak, her heart cracked and surrendered.

"Okay, you can look at me but... I'm fine... can we do this somewhere warm? Back in that café?" A police officer joined their side. She groaned, already aware of what was happening. "And then I can answer all your questions somewhere safe and warm."


	68. Realizations and Epiphanies

BLOSSOMING HERO "THE EMOTIVE IRIS" SAVES YOUNG BOY FROM DANGER AND HYPOTHERMIA

The headline, and others similar to it, had found their way across every media platform and news site the next day. Of course, many of them had use the pun "blossoming" on her name. Every article also seemed to remind readers of her previous incidents; saving Shoto in the summer and the QuirKey incident. It was beginning to finally occur to her she might actually be some kind of real celebrity. And every media site had their own takes from their users:

_What a fantastic feat for underdogs alike! In just a short time, she has really risen to the level of the rest of 2-A! You're real hero, Emotive Iris! You give hope to this world!_

_ I hope Officer Hoshino is proud of the hero his daughter is becoming – I know I would be! What a courageous young lady!_

_ Can you believe it? She used her own SOCKS to bandage that boy's arm, in freezing temperatures! I couldn't even do that, the bare minimum!_

_ I never thought a latecomer could ever come close to the ability the rest of the 2-A class has but here she is! _

_ A strange quirk that no one ever though could serve a superhero – and yet somehow, they helping in rescuing that boy!_

"Please stop reading the comments," Kairi said as she paced across her dorm room. Looking for any sort of distraction, she fiddled with the cup of writing utensils and markers. "I thought we were never supposed to read them."

"I'm _only_ reading you the positives," Shoto said, scanning through his phone as he lounged on Kairi's bed. "I was hoping it could encourage you."

"I don't need social media comments to finally tell me I'm finally better in every way."

"That isn't what I mean," Shoto said. "I just wanted you to know that people aren't viewing you as villain material anymore. You really are a hero and people are seeing that."

"But they're still comparing me to the rest of the class," she huffed, picking up the green teddy and her worn elephant. She dropped herself to the edge of the bed and hugged the animals tight to her. "I can't be good in my own right, it has to be in comparison to you all. I can't just be... me. I'm the underdog, I've excelled beyond what people expected of me. That's exactly it – what people expected of me. I can't just be 'An inspiration, a great hero!' Even laced within the comments there's still some discrimination because oh, my quirk was expected to be something that would make a villain or sexism because of course an emotional girl saved a boy, I must be wired to save children. Emotional, female. Of course that's what people think!" She slammed her exasperated arms against the bed. "Also, you said you're _only_ reading the positive comments."

"There's a lot of them!" Shoto defended. Kairi shook her head, and beckoned him to hand over his phone. "Kairi..."

"Shoto, please..." With a heavy sigh, he passed over the phone. Her fingers continued to swipe through the list, furrowing firmly. Many of them did make her heart sing, which was very true. But the most glaring ones were the ones who maybe weren't the most good intended.

_It's interesting how she's been at the center of these big events this last year. Also, has anyone noticed she is also with Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor's son and a rising hero in his own right? Think I might explore this for my next conspiracy video._

_ Damn shes hot look at that ass how do i get her to save me_

_ Weaseled her way into class with a weak quirk, and now she's suddenly all over the news for the stupidest reason rescues? We never heard of her at UA before this. And you expect me to believe saving that boy was a work of heroics? Anybody could climb and move that fast. Fake fake fake this is all for fame. I bet she doesn't actually have a quirk, she's just really emotional. Also her father works with the police, who works with heroes, he must have pulled some strings._

_ Omg the Todoroki boy is always with her do you think they're dating?! Superhero power couple!_

_ Without allmight the smallest hero thing makes the news huh_

_ Obviously she's close with todroki they must be working together to get her attention_

Thankfully, the comments were considerably less than the ones of admiration but they burned into her mind. Disgusted, she flung the phone with two fingers back at Shoto. Discomfort seeped into her, churning a mild sickness.

"There... are some yes. There always will be. People are terrible sexist pigs and just enjoy being contrary. These negative comments are ten percent of them, at best. The other ninety percent is completely in awe but what you've done! That's nowhere the amount of hate you got for QuirKey!"

"Well, some of that hate was valid," Kairi disputed. Shoto shook his head.

"Being rude is never valid. It wasn't just your quirk, though that helped the situation. Your training this year has finally helped you find some control of your quirk, and you were able to command your emotions. You held onto your calm despite everything else in you freaking out and got that boy to calm down enough to help him. But, it wasn't just your quirk. You utilized skills you learned in class; you've polished your finesse in climbing, your ability has increased, your deduction of your own body movement is now nearly precise. And, you applied the first aid skills we learned in class and responded to him quickly, to get him the help he needed. By the way, how did you know hypothermia was beginning to set in? I don't recall us learning about that."

"I ended up memorizing everything we were expected to cover and continued to study, going beyond what was necessary. I didn't learn too much more than everyone else but hypothermia was so basic I ended up covering over it." Shoto blinked, several times. His mouth fell open.

"You studied _beyond_ what we were supposed to know?"

"It was really fascinating and I thought it would be useful to know. Turned out, it was." It had clicked. Kairi froze as the currents in her mind zapped together, an epiphany rising from the fusion of her thoughts. Shoto lifted his brows, watching the way her expression altered. He could feel the spark of euphoria building. He slowly sat up, inching towards her.

"Something just occurred to you," he stated.

"Shoto..." She extended a hand, and he took it automatically. Patiently, he waited. "This is beyond just doing schoolwork and working to get good grades."

"Yes, it is," he stated plainly. "I assure you not even Iida went as far as studying the properties of hypothermia." While she continued to stare at the wall across from them, a shocked expression in her eyes, Shoto's grin broke onto his face. Joyous pride swell in him as he made to kiss the back of her hand. "You've discovered something, haven't you? A passion."

"I haven't done any internships thanks to my inability to do well in the sports festival. I have tried to seek out a kind of apprenticeship or a smaller internship on my own but none of the ones I found were of any interest to me. What if I'm seeking the wrong things? I'm looking at combatant heroes mostly. However even the ones who aren't strictly fighting seem to be more about advertising than marketing. I want to be a rescue hero yes – shouldn't that mean I should focus my attention beyond advanced first aid?"

"What do you mean?"

"I need to go further than what we're learning Shoto. I'm not saying I want to spend years and years going to medical school. Being out in the field is what I want. I want to work alongside other heroes, work as a team, be a partner to someone. But I think I want to spend my efforts studying what I excel at, what interests me, rather than spending too much time focusing on more than is necessary in fighting. I don't just want to save someone from an apartment that needs refurbishing. I wish I had the tools necessary on me to bandage him up. I wish I had been able to clean him up quick to avoid infection. I wish I had the proper tools to bandage that boy, to have been able to do most of the work before the ambulance reached us. I knew some things of course, but... I want to do... more. Shoto, I want to further study ways to rescue people from various situations. My quirk came in handy being able to get that boy to calm down so he could listen to me. What if I also had some counseling training?" She paused and looked at him, as if waiting for confirmation. He simply remained quiet, waiting for her to continue. "So many incidents are made worse by a person's panic. The number one cause of drowning is panic. If someone is anxious, flailing could make a situation worse. If I can channel my quirk in order to influence others for good, get them to listen and be calm. Maybe if they're in a dangerous home situation, I could use my quirk to make them feel safe and help them out of it."

"So you want to use your quirk to help with counsel?" Shoto said.

"Yes, but more than that. If I'm going to use my abilities in rescuing, in helping calm a person down, using empathy to help mediate situations I want to go even further." She leapt from her bed, suddenly energizing by her new revelations. "I want to apprentice under Thirteen, if I am able. Even more than that, when UA is done, I think I may want to take some nursing classes and learn how to counsel others. I mean, I guess I probably sound unqualified considering I have to see a counselor myself..." He tilted his head, baffled by her comment.

"Why would that not qualify you? Do you think doctors don't also need to see doctors? Counselors have tough issues they struggle to deal with themselves. That doesn't make them unqualified."

"I mean, I guess..." she mumbled, lighting up red with embarrassment as her fingers fumbled together. "It's just something that I'm worried people will concern themselves with."

"They can go fuck themselves then," he replied casually. Shoto sighed and slipped off the bed to pull her to himself. Slowly, Kairi wrapped her arms around his back. His hand patted the top of her head as he took in her scent, losing himself in it. "I think you are absolutely right. I have seen you become more involved with the studies of rescue tactics and plunge into readings about simple medical procedures in a way I have only ever seen you do for your devoted fandoms. And you care about people. Even those who never showed to care about you." He pulled away, extending one finger to lift her chin. Her chest fluttered at the gaze he poured into her. "Do it. You're already pouring your heart into it. You're more than qualified for this line of work. There's enough fighters in this class, but I can't recall a single person has enjoyed hearing how to properly wrap a wound like you have. And I'm here to support you all the way." Her cheeks filled with a smile, just before she gave him a tight squeeze.

"I'm going to do it then. I'm going to talk to Thirteen, see if there's anyway she can help me. Recovery Girl might also be able to give me some lessons on some more basic medical stuff. It's sad we only have another week of these classes."

"It's a good thing you're going to be seeking out more opportunities then." He pulled away from her, and looked back at his phone, still on the page of social media comments. Shoto smirked. "'The Emotive Iris', you say? I think I recall your hero name being Mood Swinger."

"Oh, I was never fully committed to that name. I just needed something. I thought it was a good name at the time, because you know, mood swings. I already get enough sexist comments on being an 'emotional girl'. I think I made mention once on social media about being The Mood Swinger and that was a complete shitstorm. You know how many people thought that must mean my quirk is always being on my period?" Shoto grimaced.

"I'm guessing every one of these comments were old men."

"A few young ones, but yes you are correct. I don't need to encourage the stereotype. It's not like I've become well known till... recently. So I decided I thought I would just change my hero name. I've become quite fond of irises lately." The golden light in her eyes sparkled, endeared by his smirk as he turned away. His cheeks filled with red.

"Ah, yes..." he chuckled, looking over at the plastered iris that still hung on her wall. "I find myself drawn in by them as well. Especially warm amber ones, staring back at me." He looked back, locking his gaze once more to her eyes. Her heart sped, unable to break away from her despite how wildly it flew.

"Stop!" she yelled, quickly turning back away. His words were too infectious, an affectionate disease spreading throughout and causing her to fill with a deep fluster. "You're just... Why are you so...?"

"What?" he chuckled. "Would you rather me say that only a giant nerd would know at the top of their head that 'iris' also happens to be an old-fashioned term for a banner or symbol?"

"Yes, because maybe that wouldn't make me the color of beets."

"I do like beets, very much." His flirting was becoming too much, especially when he made to reach for her again. The burning of his touch was quickly becoming addicting. While she still twitched and the feel of him when he held her or touched her face, it was all very welcome. Her mind raced as she considered her usual anxieties, if this was what he really wanted. But she needed to trust him, as so many around her had told her. Slowly, that trust was becoming easier as her doubt faded with every day. Even so, things with them were still very earlier and it was still shocking to find him stroking her hair or entwining his fingers with hers. Foreign and surprising, but every bit intoxicating and she could never get enough of him. She would have been happy just having friends, just knowing there were people she could rely on. But this was far more of a blessing than she ever thought she could be worthy of. He was astounding, he was magic, he was home.

Another brush of his finger up her arm, and she could already feel herself becoming easily distracted. Her want grew, but the sensible part of her slapped it away.

"Ah, n-no, stop, Shoto!" she said quickly. As he always did, he dropped his arm, stepping away. It still left her flabbergasted, no matter how many times he did that. Even though he could feel her want, to just stay in his arms, and it was no doubt causing him to want as well, he stopped all together. Her mind spun, disbelieving once more that he was able to separate his own sense from her feelings. "You give me any more attention and I will struggle to allow us to leave this room. Isao is waiting for us at the hospital. We promised him. We can't be late."

"O-of course," he stammered, regaining his composure. Then he smirked devilishly. "Just carve out some time for me this weekend. No homework allowed."

"You're a bad influence, Shoto Todoroki!" she laughed while held the door open.

"Says the girl who introduced me to _Seawall_ and now I have to set several alarms to get myself off the game."

"Is that blamed on the game or your reluctance to leave the girl you're playing with?" Shoto remained silent while he shut the door behind them. They laughed their way out of the dorm room but once in view of their classmates, they were deliberate in keeping a small distance between them. Kairi gave a small wave to those in the common area just before they exited the room dorm. A thick silence filled the area, the sound of Hagakure flipping through a magazine the only noise present. An awkward few seconds passed before anyone spoke.

"Well that's just great!" Bakugo hissed as he slammed his fist against the arm rest of the couch. Hagakure's form moved in a way that indicated she must be looking his direction. Kirishima lifted his eyes from his phone, exiting out of a video about the importance of stretching before working out. "As if Icy Hot's attitude and Hoshino's mood projection's weren't annoying enough."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kirishima asked. Tokoyami pushed aside the door leading into the entry. He turned his head behind him, watching the two classmates disappear together down the road. He held the door open for Jiro, walking in slowly behind him.

"Curious. It would seem something in their souls has resurrected each other," said Tokoyami.

"I don't understand," Jiro said, looking back through the window as if searching for something she missed. "Are we watching Hoshino and Todoroki for something?"

"Are you and Kirishima really so incompetent you are missing something so obvious?" Mineta interjected, wandering in from the kitchen as he held a carbonated drink in his hand.

"I don't understand what's going on either," Hagakure said.

"You have to be an idiot, are you telling me you didn't feel those strange feelings?!" Bakugo scoffed.

"Feel it?" Mineta said condescendingly. "I saw it plain as day."

"Todoroki smiles a lot around her lately," said Tokoyami.

"Well, he always has. They're best friends!" Hagakure said.

"Oh sweet, naïve, Hagakure..." Mineta proudly walked the length of the room to where she said, reaching to pat where he assumed her head was. "No no... They walked out of here 2.3 inches further apart than usual. They both looked around quickly as if hoping not be caught and taking notice to where everyone is sitting and where they're looking. I wasn't paying too much attention to Todoroki, but Hoshino was holding herself very stiff as one does when their nervous or guilty. But their lips also shook, trying to keep themselves from smiling too much lest they be given away."

"Wh... what...?" Jiro said. Bakugo grunted and launched himself from the couch.

"The runt is trying to say it's obvious they're secretly together. Now I have to deal with that range of emotion in the classroom and those stupid looks across the room."

"You think?" Kirishima asked, looking back to the door. "I dunno, I think it's kind of neat. Good for them, really." Bakugo glared at Kirishima.

"If that really is the case..." Jiro said, heading further into the room. "I'm glad it's Todoroki."

"Yeah? Why is that?" said Mineta.

"No one understands Hoshino like Todoroki. And not many people have looked past Hoshino's quirk and treated her like a person. In addition, not many people have seen Todoroki beyond being Endeavor's son, or a star celebrity, or a handsome face. From the start they've seemed to just know each other's rhythm and how to treat each other and understood without speaking the kind of person the other needed," Jiro said, reciting her observations. "That's good, they really deserve each other."

"It even brings a little warmth to my heart," Tokoyami agreed. The room fell quiet once again, as the others considered the possibility of them as a couple. Even Bakugo fell silent, seeming to utter a strange noise that sounded something similar to approval.

* * *

**You all have been so kind and patient to me, and I am very lucky to have the readers I have. I know my uploads have slowed a little bit as of late and I am sorry for that. I am pretty exhausted and my mental health isn't the greatest right now in this moment in time, and I really apologize for the effect that has had on my writing. I love you and I am so grateful to you!**


	69. Breaking Her Out Before Burnout

The horn blasted, signaling Kairi's time had run out. Once more, she placed her hands against her head and led out an aggravated cry. A cardboard cut out of an illustration of a large flame popped up from the ground, indicating the fate of the fictional situation she had been practicing.

"One more time!" she called, hopping off the overturned vehicle in Thirteen's Unforseen Simulation Joint. Immediately, she began to run back around to the other side of the fictional buildings, along the simulated streets. Thirteen, who had been instructing from the sidelines, made her way towards the center of the simulation. She folded her hands in front of her, displaying a show of caution and patience before speaking.

"Ms. Hoshino, it's been almost a full hour of the same scenario. You've excelled greatly, I actually never expected you to get as close as you have to almost getting the victim out before the car exploded-"

"I can do it this time!" Determination burned through her, her legs ready to launch herself into the situation.

"I have no doubt you will get it, you're already showing great promise!" Thirteen encouraged happily. She moved closer to Kairi, pressing an understanding hand to her shoulder. "I'm glad that you're so eager to learn this stuff. When we first began our first response training and moved to more complex rescue tactics, I noticed just how quickly you attached yourself to this kind of heroism. I immediately knew you were going to excel in this, there is no doubt you will get this soon. However, as excited as you are, you also need to know when pushing yourself is just too much."

"Thirteen, I get that and you're right. But I am among the fastest in the class without the aid of a quirk, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to do this!" Her voice was desperate, her core pleading. Impatience was pounding against her, pushing her to do more. It was vital that she complete this exercise now, though for the life of her she couldn't recall why it was so important to do so at that moment.

"But if you don't pause for a break you will wear yourself out before you get a chance to get there," Thirteen expressed. "I admire your passion. It's fantastic that you care so much about becoming a rescue hero. But Ms. Hoshino... it's Saturday." Kairi sheepishly lowered her head. She looked up at her friends watching from afar – Shoto, Momo, Tsu, and Yuga who had all willingly gave up their morning to support her. As Thirteen's words rang clearer, she gave in to her defeat. "If you want, I can run another simulation after school on Monday."

"Tuesday," Kairi said, kicking at the false road. "I have counseling on Monday."

"Okay. Tuesday I can do just... don't overfill your schedule so you suffer burnout. As much as you want to be a rescue hero and take care of others, you can't do that unless you're also taking care of yourself."

"Thank you," Kairi replied. With a simple nod, she left the training the grounds. Shuffling her feet, she headed for the entrance, Momo already throwing a hug at her.

"I can't believe how fast you moved!" Momo praised.

"It helps that I knew what the situation was before I was thrown into it," Kairi said, returning her friend's hug. "And I never actually got the hang of it."

"You will," Yuga said. "You'll do it so often that knowing how to pull people from a burning vehicle will just be second nature to you."

"And then hopefully you'll never have to use it," Tsu said. Shoto gave a small smile that said more than anyone else could see. He reached to squeeze her hand just before the group grabbed their coats and walked out of the USJ.

After Kairi's revelation, she asked to speak with Thirteen after classes the next day and within the last two weeks she gave her three short extracurricular training sessions. Recovery Girl also agreed to give her some help but her training was less hands on at the current moment. Instead, she gave her some reading material she wanted her to give summaries on and suggested a few videos for her to take notes on. Her workload had nearly tripled, but it was one she had taken on happily, even as tired as she was.

"I feel like someone tied me in a knot and sent me rolling down the street," Kairi moaned, stretching her neck from side to side.

"I think it's about time you took a break," Tsu said. "You've been going for almost a month at this point." Kairi shook her head.

"I'm supposed to give Recovery Girl summaries on recognizing the differences between infections, poisonings, and allergies. It's not due for a week but she wants a thorough report and it is difficult. Some common poisonings look like infections. And many poison reactions are almost identical to allergies." Shoto ached with concern, listening to her as she spoke. He had been fixated on training and overloading on his work when he began UA, but time had helped him relax and Kairi had also echoed the need for rest and breaks – insomuch that she arguably took too many of them. That was before the first responder classes began. As they headed into February, those classes were drawing to a close but she began her extra work with Recovery Girl and Thirteen. In addition with her other schoolwork and counseling, her plate was beginning to look like a heaping mountain. It pained him to see her willingly take on more than what was obvious she could handle at the moment.

"This is all stuff you asked to do, right?" Momo asked. Kairi nodded. She often wore a little makeup, but it hadn't done much to cover the fatigue in her eyes. "Maybe you should tell them you want the work spaced out, or put it aside til next year. There's only a couple months left in the school year and with exams coming up-"

"Oh _shit_, I forgot about the exams!" Kairi bellowed, loud enough so it turned the heads of a couple others on the street. A shot of embarrassment struck her and she instinctively covered her mouth. "It's okay, I can get all of this done. I need to, if I am going to excel."

"_Mademoiselle_, it does not do a body good to take on so much," Yuga said with concerning lining his voice.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? You all get offers for internships and have at least made good enough reputations that when you ask them, people give them to you. I don't have that history. I don't have a shining record or a stellar recording with heroics to indicate that. I missed out on all that, and I still don't have my provisional hero's license. What I got is this. These are what I have to excel. And with next year being our last year until college I _have _to get up there. Next year, I only have two more chances to get my own license. If I don't I... I don't know what..."

"You don't need to kill yourself emotionally to get there," Shoto said, taking her hand.

"Yes _I do_. I'm not considered a hero by the public like you all!" Kairi snapped lightly. "It sucks but it's not like someone is just going to walk up to me and suddenly know who I am based on my merit of being a hero rather than the scandals I've caused for UA-"

"Um, excuse me, are you the Emotive Iris?" the small voice came from in front of them, a young girl about seven staring with the widest blue eyes they had ever seen on anyone. Her smile was almost the whole length of her face. Exuberance flowed through her as she struggled to stand still, hanging onto her mother's hand.

"Uhh..." Kairi began, blinking at the small child. "I... am?" The girl laughed and pulled off the shimmery holo backpack she had on her. Her little fingers dove into its contents to then hold up a small notebook, covering in various stickers of rainbows, hearts, cats, and flowers. Her mother passed over a pen and the girl held up them both out to her.

"Could I have your autograph?" Her friends stared at Kairi, a mix of shock and also pride.

"Um, sure... do you want their autographs too?" The girl scanned between the faces, no recognition til she fell on Todoroki's face.

"I think I recognize her somehow..." she pointed to Tsu. "I don't know the others. But that's the boy who's with you a lot right? Mom says he's... Endover's son?"

"Endeavor, but... yeah," Kairi said, holding the pen.

"I mean, they're all heroes right? So... yeah! All their autographs would be fun! But I think you're the coolest hero! You're already moving really fast and jumping on things and climbing everything and you just know how to stay calm and help people and know just what to do! You use things around you and just figure out what to do and you don't think you just move and I think that's really cool! And this boy helps you right? He's your partner?" Kairi snorted, holding in a laugh at the idea of her being the hero and Shoto being the sidekick. He gave her a knowing side eye as he watched her scribble her name onto the paper.

"What's your name?"

"Ami!" she said proudly. Kairi wrote out a message and then passed it over to Shoto. "Mom says that just knowing what to do and moving like that aren't even your quirk! She says that have feelings, and then other people feel them and that changes how they feel! But I don't know how that helps being a hero? But it doesn't matter because it's super cool everything you do and it's cool that you jump into action so fast and you're just really cool." All the fatigue and the stress that was laying on her was melting away, under this little girl's adoration. Her pep, her brightness as she looked upward to Kairi instantly pulled forward a great desire to become everything this girl thought her to be. Empowered by the young girl's exuberance, she dropped herself til she was level with her. Ami seemed struck still by the proximity of Kairi.

"I'm glad that you find me so great!" Kairi smiled. "I hope I can continue to be an inspiration for other strong young ladies just like you!" Ami laughed. "But remember that heroes are normal people. If you want to be a hero that's great! But you if decide you don't want to be, there's nothing wrong with that either. Just being a girl, a person... that's a superpower in it's own right. Don't ever let anyone tell you how to feel, how to behave, or that just because you act or do something a certain way you're destined to become a certain way. Be whoever you want to be, just remember to be kind to others and treat them with respect as you do it." Awed to the point of becoming voiceless, Ami nodded slowly. Her notebook was passed back, and Ami held it closely to her chest. She flipped to the front page, slowly reading Kairi's scribbling.

"'Feelings are a superpower?'" she read.

"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't be angry or you can't cry just because they think you shouldn't show emotion." Hesitantly, Kairi held out her arms, allowing the girl to go to her. Ami quickly hugged her hero before Kairi patted her head and pulled away.

"Thank you," said her mother kindly. Kairi beamed, her ample cheeks glowing. The group gave quick goodbyes and then continued on to venture. Kairi twiddled with her hands in front.

"Not considered a hero, huh?" Shoto said with a smirk. "What do you think about that?"

"An anomaly," Kairi sighed. But the smile wouldn't fade. "It was nice, though. To see in person that someone is appreciating some of the stuff I do. Maybe there are a few out there..."

"Shouldn't that be enough? If what we do helps even a few people, and inspires just a few, isn't it better that we helped the world a little rather than not at all?" She exchanged looks with him, struck by the wisdom he shared. Thoughts halted, she turned away, grumbled to herself. Tsu snickered while Shoto produced a healthy laugh.

Shoto kept himself close to Kairi on the short bus ride home, for her comfort. But her anxiety on public transportation was growing less, slowly. There was an extra pep in Kairi's step as they jumped off the bus, heading towards their dorm rooms. A couple of men dressed in sharp suits stood before the entrance, bulky cameras in their hands. One pointed to the group as it reached the gates leading to the dorms. Kairi quickly pulled up the hood on her jacket and raised a hand to cover her face. Her friends crowded around her again, prohibiting any good shot they could take of her. It wasn't as if they were only there to snap pictures of Kairi, but recent events had given her a little more attention. And Kairi was the one the most uncomfortable with press coverage.

"May I never make the top ten of pro heroes," she breathed as they hurried inside, away from the constant click of camera. She began to pull at the zipper on her coat. "I suppose I am just going to have to get used to it."

"Posing for photos during award ceremonies or grand opening of a Heroes Museum is one thing," Momo said. "That doesn't mean they need to be rude by harassing you in your private life and showing up to your residence to take pictures of you just jumping off the bus. Yet they still do." Her knees shook as she considered the future. Was this how it was destined to be? Her desire to be a hero was still strong and hadn't faded but how would she handle all the adoring lights? The sudden snaps of cameras? People like Shoto were used to it, considering his father. But for her, for someone who never grew up around the pomp and circumstance, could she handle it? Her stomach lurched with discomfort, a note that Shoto seemed to take as ran a tender hand across her back. She shuddered with a different emotion now, one a little more personal.

"The path of a hero you plan to take is honorable and you will garnish many fans, support, and adoration for what you are doing." She swallowed. "But it isn't a front and center path. It isn't one that's going to often be performed in front of the eyes of hundreds of civilians as you take down a villain. Fighting tends to make the front pages. The attention won't be on you as often." Her heart relaxed as he offered this word of comfort. She was only a student as well. She would have time to get used to it. He was right, of course. Between the two of them, Shoto would get more attention. As other events, the sensation around her would fade and things would feel a little more normal.

"Let's return to the previous topic - Kairi, we know you want to jump on your homework. But we insist you take a break," Momo said confidently.

"But I have-"

"Just hang out with us for a few hours and then you can return to your poisons versus infections!" Yuga pleaded. He rested his head on her shoulder, offering up dazzling blue eyes filled with a strong plead. Kairi looked across her group of friends, seeing similar expressions albeit less dramatic. The tug was so intense, her heart released the rope and gave in.

"Okay! Okay, a few hours... I am quite sore. Would you be okay if I took a quick shower first?"

"Absolutely," Shoto said. "Meet us in my room in about a half hour then."

".. your room?" Kairi questioned. He had replied so quickly, it was as if he had already decided on something long ago. "Is there...?"

"Come on!" Momo said, gripping her arm and pulling her up the stairs. Her bold grin was very suspicious. Kairi's phone buzzed against her leg, but she ignored it. Her mother had been insistent in trying to get a hold of her lately. Deciding to cut her off meant she should just block her altogether, but something was keeping her from doing that. It hurt far too much each time she tried to.

Momo nearly threw her into her room and shooed her in the direction of the bathroom, looking much too excited. Apprehension gripped Kairi. Her friends would never do something they knew her to be against or that upset her. Her trust in them was strong, so she held no anxiety for what they were planning. However, it did make her anxious and impatient for whatever was going on. Their urgency in making her take a break and pushing her up to her room had happened way too quickly for there to not be some sort of plan going on.

She took a breath, succumbing to her comfort that everything her friends did was because they loved her. Whatever it was going on, she didn't need to fear it. An epiphany caused her heart to smile - she had reached a point where she had trusted them completely, not once expecting any sort of malicious intent. Bubbling with the knowledge of how much faith she had in her friends, Kairi hummed to herself and stepped into the shower.

_She took a little longer. She said she wanted to gussy herself up a little bit. :O I'm sure this is because of you! But we're on our way. Everything better be set up_\- Momo

_We have Iida here, of course it is. He was insistent on everything being perfect._\- Shoto

_He was? You sure you weren't as well? _\- Momo. Shoto rolled his eyes at the text.

_Of course I was. Just get her here. _\- Shoto.

_Just reaching the top floor now_. - Momo

Shoto tucked his phone away and motioned for everyone to take their seats at the round table placed in the center of the room. he had been forced to move his bedroll and adjust some of his belongings in order to get the folding table to fit and it was still tight. Even so, everyone had been able to find a place. Before them lay a game mat and various dice of different shapes lay before each person - Tsu, Yuga, Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida was a folding screen in front of him. Little figures covered the table, next to corresponding sheets, each representating a different kind of character. Three open seats awaited them, yet to be filled. Iida had dressed with a fancy brocade vest and wore a cape with a hood. Yuga also dressed for the occasion - wearing a bright blue cape that must have been made of silk, and a ruffled shirt. Any occasion to dress, he was there. The others still wore their street clothes from before - except for Shoto. It wasn't that far from regular clothes, but unusual for him to wear; he had chosen a pair of dark slacks with boots, a dress shirt and a more old fashioned vest.

The door knocked and the room fell quiet. Battery operated candles and several lanterns decorated the room to give it a mystical ambiance. Shoto gave his friends a look and then shut off the lights, so they were bathed in dim glow. He sat up straight and then pulled at the handle.

Kairi's mouth dropped while Momo kept on grinning. The room was dim was the first thing she noticed - the second was the crowded table waiting for them, eager expressions from all her friends. Scattered across the table were elements all obvious of a _Dungeons and Dragons _campaign.

"What is... this?" she squeaked, just as Momo ran to take a seat and Shoto pulled on out for her.

"My lady," Shoto began. His voice cracked as his self consciousness grew. he cleared his throat and began again. "My lady... As a break from the mundane tasks of every day quests, the guild here invites you onto an restful yet exhilarating adventure. Do you accept?" It took a moment for her mind to finally put together the picture before her. This was the beginning of a campaign - something she had longed for since she was young. A warm smile of mischievous gratitude fell to her. Kairi crossed her arms, looking to Shoto.

"That depends. Can you promise me fearsome beasts and and glorious treasures to behold?"

"I can. There will be plenty of that to come." Kairi stopped her squeal from being released, but the same sentiment shone across her face. She leapt into the chair Shoto held for her, just before he lowered himself to whisper into her ear.

"Of course," he hushed as the rest of the table grew excited to began. "There is no treasure more glorious than you." She was forced to hold in her squeal again. The dim light kept the room from seeing the heavy scarlet on her face, but she the heat taking over her entire form.

The game began, and Kairi tossed aside her phone, ignoring the incoming call from her mother once again.


	70. Chaotic Good

**Sooo through some back-editing I did and noticing a major error that left one really short chapter and one decent sized chapter, I ended up having to combine the two and... good news for you! You get a really long chapter out of it!**

**Actually this is the best chapter to get a long chapter out of because well... you'll seeeeeeeeeee ;)**

* * *

"... the sun slowly sunk below the horizon in the distance. With our adventurers fast asleep, the fire snuffed itself out, smoldering. And here ends an eventful day for our adventurers until they next awake and continue their journey." Iida closed out their session with a dramatic tone to his narration. Among the mess of dive, figurines, and papers also lay half empty bags of food and empty cans of soft drinks. A moment of heavy quiet fell on the table as they took in his last words. Then began the hubbub of enthusiastic players.

"Oh my goodness that was amazing!" Uraraka jumped up from her seat. "I can't believe I've never played that before!"

"You're a really good storyteller Iida!" Yuga praised vibrantly. "I was really hanging onto the edge of my seat!"

"It was really a lot of fun!" said Tsu.

"We should have another session really soon!" Izuku said, and everyone quickly agreed. Kairi leaned back against her seat, heart full and momentarily forgetting about the current stress that lay on her. She rolled her head to the side, dazzled by Shoto's appearance beside her.

"I know this was you," she said. He smiled, slightly shaking his head.

"I expressed worry to Tsu and Momo that you were taking on too much and needed a break. Iida overheard and was the one who suggested a night of D and D. He remembered you owned many of the items and also, I think he was looking for an excuse to play." She laughed to herself, marvelling again at the expanse before them.

"These are my items aren't they?"

"Most of them. Many others bought their own dice and helped organize their own characters."

"And when did you get this out of my room without me noticing?" Shoto threw up his arms. Innocence filled his face, as much as he could muster.

"I might have had stuck something to keep the lock from catching last week. Momo went in and took everything." Her spirit filled with shock, one that was endeared to his actions even if they were uncharacteristic.

"Shoto! That's almost evil!"

"No..." he held up his character sheet. "Chaotic good."

"Oh hardy har," she teased, but still managed a real chuckle. As the others around them cleaned up, she reached under the table. Gentle fingers took a hold of his and beheld the colors in his eyes. "Thank you, I... I did need this."

"I was hoping it would help."

"I... am taking on a lot, aren't you?"

"You don't need to become the best all at once. And even trying to is going to burn you out and you won't become the best anyway. You have time, Kairi. Just because there's so much pressure from the rest of the world and all eyes are on UA, especially this class, doesn't mean you need to buy into what they're saying. You can go and your own pace and people will still respect you. Like that girl today." As the others worked to collapse the table, Kairi quickly withdrew her hand from Shoto, blushing. She wove her hands together. seeking her response.

"I guess.. I mean... it's... you're right. I just feel like I have all this pressure and... I think I need to take it all on or I will never get there."

"You will. I have watched you excel and gain some control of your quirk when you never thought you will. You just need to pace yourself and remember we are all here to support you." Kairi looked back at her friends; Yuga and Izuku pushing the legs into the folding table. Iida carefully filling a box with the dice and characters. The others discussed the parts of the adventure they enjoyed as they all worked to clean up the remainders of food. It was hard not to look across at her friends, proud and humbled by the efforts they had gone to for her. Her spirit billowed with the sense of swimming pride, happy to be in their presence. They were truly some of the greatest people. Not just heroes, not just skilled in their quirks. But _people_. Their encouragement and support for each other not just as comrades but as _friends_ was no doubt the thing that made their class great.

"I know..." her voice caught on a ledge in her throat. Emotion shorted her words as her love and devotion to her friends began to spill over. "I really have th... I have the greatest group... of people around me. I need to learn to trust and... Well, ev... everything will be okay because I have you all t-to rely on." Quickly, she reached to squeeze his hand. "Especially you."

His chest clenched at the feel of his warm eyes on him again. Shoto clenched his fists and shot up from his seat, wandering around to help gather more materials.

They cleaned up quickly. Iida, Yuga, and Tsu offered to help take care of the furniture while Uraraka and Izuku carried out the trash. Shoto and Kairi carried her _Dungeons and Dragons_ materials back up to her room, saying their goodbyes to everyone for the night. They had played late into the night and while it was Saturday night, they were all plenty fatigued.

"I hope we're able to do that again soon," Shoto said, pushing the materials into a storage cube in Kairi's cupboard. "I enjoyed that, quite a bit more than I thought I did."

"Yeah, it was really nice to have a large group of close friends to enjoy it with." Kairi flopped onto her bed, spreading out her arms as she stared at her ceiling and thought over the rompous adventurous she just shared. "That was really amazing."

"Maybe you should check your phone now?" he suggested. Shoto took a spot in her chair at the desk. "And do... something about your mother, whatever that is."

"Ugghh..." Dread weighed her down as she turned her head to her phone. Three voicemails, waiting for her. "I suppose I should at least see what she wants and then I can figure it out from there."

"Do you want me to go?" he offered, rising from the chair.

"No!" The response left her quicker than she anticipated, and Kairi jumped from the bed to hold out a hand to stop him. "No... please I... I kinda want you here."

"Then I'll stay," he agreed quickly and dropped back into the seat. He gave her a pleased smirk. She turned away as soon as the blush rose again and used the voicemails to distract her. The first one was just a humble request to call her back. The second sounded enthusiastic, yet slightly desperate with the promise of good news. The third, however, was the voicemail that caused Kairi to grow rigid. Her stomach dropped and she pressed the button to replayed the message. She hadn't imagined it. Those were really her words.

_I know you've been really stressed lately and you're hard at work being a great hero! So I just tell you over voicemail and you can reply to me when you have the time! Why not celebrate you turning sixteen and rapidly becoming a great hero all at once! I'm coming to Japan in March! I'm so excited to see you! Love you, call me when you can!_

"Kairi? What is it?" came Shoto's question as Kairi pulled the phone from her face. Everything pushed against her sides, drawing in all her tension. She swallowed, hoping that uncomfortable lump would disappear. It didn't, and she could only slowly turn to her... friend, if that was the appropriate word, her eyes large with sudden shock. Seeing her face so stricken, he bolted up from her bed and took her hand. "Kairi?"

"She's... she's coming... to... My mother has decided to... come to J-japan! For my birthday!" But her shouts were not enthusiastic. Feeling her horror, Shoto placed a hand to her back and guided her to her bed. Pressure began to grow in her, dread its fertilizer.

"Why would she do such a thing?" he asked, surprisingly calm. "She was so eager to get away from you."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Kairi scoffed through the heavy breaths. "My name's been in the news several times this year, and this time it's a much more positive story. I'm becoming a shining hero, becoming known even beyond Japan. She wants to bask in the glory of having a superhero for a daughter, but she's masking it as if it's a loving thing she's doing for me."

"Does your father know about this?" She stiffened again.

"Damn it, my _father_."

"What time is it in England now?"

"Almost 2 pm. I'm sure she's still at work."

"Do you _want_ to see her?" The possibility flickered in her, both with a glimmer of elation and the bulk of disappointment. it had been years. She had been a young girl. She had gone half her life without seeing her mother in person. A part of her wanted it more than anything. That dream of hers could be real, and her spirit flew as she considered what it would be like to hold her mother again. Did she smell like she used to? Last time her head reached her waist, where would her head reach now? But those questions felt empty, as certain disappointment tangled with her. There was no way this wasn't a selfish endeavor of hers. She was going to use it as a way to get her name out there, about what a marvelous daughter in her. Every fantasized hope in her wanted that connection, to spend time with her. But previous history reminded her of the sharp pain that would gather when it was revealed what she was really there for, and how awful it would feel when she realized there was nothing in her mother that actually wanted anything to do with her.

"Of course I do... but I don't think I should..." Kairi moaned, kicking against the leg of her bed.

"Maybe it's something she's simply saying. Perhaps she hasn't purchased the tickets yet."

"You think?" A gentleness fluttered in Kairi as she looked at her phone. "I could ask... I could just text her." Her fingers were already flying against the phone. Shoto glanced at his own phone, watching the time with concern. "You should probably head back to your dorm."

"I still have a little bit of time."

_Soo, Mom, sorry! I've been out with my friends all day - a break from the rigorous studying. You're coming to Japan? You haven't purchased the tickets yet, have you? _\- Kairi

There was a response within minutes, almost as if Tabitha had been waiting beside her phone for some sort of response.

_Kairi! Thank God, I was beginning to think you had fallen off the face of the Earth! You're a busy girl! Yes, I have! I purchased the tickets for all of us this morning! - _Mom

Something in her flipped. Kairi held out her phone for Shoto to see, who furrowed his brow.

_All of you? Who else is coming? _\- Kairi

_Oscar and Vivien of course! I decided against Maxwell coming with. Thought that may be a bit too much for you._ \- Mom

Kairi made a face, glaring at her phone. She gave Shoto a look, as if he would have some sort of answer for her.

_I have no idea who those people are, mom._ \- Kairi

_I apologize I've never shown them to you on camera, I just wasn't sure if you were ready for that shock. But I know I have talked about your siblings and stepfather before_.

"_What_?!" Kairi shrieked, the phone launching from her hand before it clattered against the ground. Her body exploded, a geyser of emotion launching from her form and evening causing Shoto to jump at the intensity of her feelings. "No, there is no _fucking_ way she's ever mentioned anything of another family to me!"

_You have never mentioned them. Once. Ever. I have siblings?! What? You never even told me you got married?! I would have remembered them!_ \- Kairi.

_I must have. Why would I have forgotten? _\- Mom.

_Maybe because you don't want to me to be aware of any part of the family because you think I'm a disappointment?! _\- Kairi.

_Surely your father has found someone else and you never said anything, how is this any different? _

_ No! He hasn't! I figured you probably had been seeing someone or at least had some sort of romantic life but to have a whole family?! _

Kairi hugged herself, staring at the three blinking dots on her phone while she waited for some sort of reply. The weight of the issue was incoming, holding her still as its force threatened her. Thinking of who they could be, the people they were, what the other side of her family was expanded its heft and tousled her aside. Shoto slipped from the bed and slipped his hands around her from the back. The warmth of his embraced eased some of the tension away, but the stress was still paramount.

_You can't just expect me to go on! Maybe I never mentioned it, and I'm sorry for that, but considering how messy things were when I came home, how can you blame me for that? Reestablishing a relationship with you was difficult enough, to then have to tell you I have a husband and kids was a feat I was working up to! I thought this would be a great opportunity to finally have you meet!_

Of course, her response was offering to comfort to Kairi. The room warped around her, swaying with disorientation. Shoto's reminders to breath warbled. Her body displaced itself, as if she was watching herself cower from just behind her body. She could see herself shake. Her emotions pulsed before collapsing against her sternum. Her throat grew warm with the threat of sickness. Her phone lay abandoned, though the messages continued to come in. The muscles around her jaw and face relaxed at the release of tears. Streams of sorrow filled her face. A tidal wave of betrayal slapped against rage, meeting in the cyclone of anxiety. Shoto retrieved a blanket and her elephant, laying them beside her on the floor.

Knowing what she was feeling at that moment caused his own concoction of emotions, ones he knew where his own and not an echo of hers. Worry's frantic courses shook his limbs and heart. Tender fingers brushed away the strands of hair that had fallen in her face. A special kind of fire, usually only reserved for his fury towards his father, ran through his blood. To set this kind of stress on Kairi, knowing what news like this could do to her... For her mother to treat her the way she had been... it was nearly unforgivable. His clenched his fist, trying to force his rage away to a mere biting shadow. That wouldn't help her now, but it was impossible to not feel given what he was witnessing at the moment.

She had gone so long without any sort of attack, so seeing her have one now shattered him quicker than a hammer to glass. It hurt himself, watching the way she gulped in air. He talked with her, guiding her through a mantra to helped sooth her. His hand moved in circles over her back, his voice soft as he reminded her where she was and that he wasn't going to abandon her... And that's what would happen, he decided with an enlightening spark. Not for that moment, not for the rest of the night. It was past eleven on a Saturday - a time when they were all expected to be in their dorms for the night (whether they slept that night or not). While friends slept in their friends dorms many times over the weekend, it had been made clear several times - for Mineta's sake - that boys and girls were not to be the other gender's wing past lights out. At this time, Shoto had already broken it - so what would be the harm if he just stayed there for the night?

"Kairi... I am going to be right back," he promised.

"It's past curfew... you need to be back in your dorm."

"I will not leave you alone when you need someone right now. Tsu and Momo has both taken turns in spending the night with you when you were stressed and couldn't be alone. It's my turn now."

"But they were... allowed. You... can't be in here."

"It's not as if there's any patrol to check to make sure we're still in our rooms and besides..." he reached for her hand. Mismatched eyes beheld her ambers. "A hero doesn't leave their partner in times of distress. Should I somehow get found out, then I will explain the reasoning why. It was a medical necessity. A friend was in need. I am not worried about it."

"Shoto..." Her heart was sinking with guilt, but starting to float with the strange excitement of him spending the night in her room. The whole night.

"Kairi, the only thing that's going to keep me from spending the night here is you. If you don't want me here, I won't. You are the only person that can keep me from being here." Kairi remained silent, afraid to speak. Her body clenched at the idea of him breaking the rules, but relief poured in knowing she wouldn't have to suffer the night alone. Her insides spun warmly, with a hint of shyness thinking further on the subject. Shoto... spending the night in her dorm. It felt so... _intimate._

Shoto colored a similar shade to pink that he saw Kairi giving off. Now doubt she was also thinking about how they were becoming closer as... not exactly friends but... something special. He breathed deeply, forcing away those pesky teenage thoughts. There would be nothing like that, he firmly scolded himself. He wasn't after that. He wanted to make sure she felt safe and could sleep decently, and that was all. He could get Tsu or Momo... but a small part of him would worry and be disappointed. His own selfish pride drew away at the suggestions, and for once, he wanted to let that part of him win.

"I'll be right back. I promise, Riri. I'm going to run to my dorm and then quietly be back here. I won't leave you be like this." Kairi pulled herself into a sitting position, wiping at her reddened eyes. She sniffled.

"Be back soon," she rasped. The door slowly shut behind him. Kairi swallowed, and then looked around.

A whole new worry manifested in her, and the jolt it forced her to hop to her feet. She ran to her bathroom and swiftly ran a brush through her hair before beginning her nighttime routine; she washed her face quickly and used moisturizer. Brushing her teeth, she hurried through her clothes and tossed aside several sets of pajamas - they either showed more skin than she was comfortable with Shoto seeing or were too drab. It was about five pajamas in she finally found a girly t-shirt and pants set she could handle. Then she had to find a sports bra she would be fine sleeping in. Often, Kairi went braless at night. However, that was most certainly not happening tonight. That was crossing the line of comfort for her in this stage and she was already wild with embarrassed anticipation. It was not that big of a deal by any means but it felt so _deep _for them to be sleeping in the same room. Her siblings, as weird as that sounded, were on her mind still. But her mind was continuing to spin as she focused on the current issue - Shoto was going to _spend the night in her room_. She had just finished when she flew to the door, taking hold of it before Shoto could knock against it and rouse suspicion.

It wasn't clear when the heat began to engulf his face, but it had been formed the entire ascent to Kairi's room. Everything in him had this weird jubilee as it set in that he was spending the night in Kairi's room. It was so personal and felt like whatever was going on with them had taken a huge step. He felt smaller, smaller than Kairi in that moment as he stepped inside. Sheepish was a weird feeling for him and yet, here it was. May he graze and bleat with the rest of the sheep in the field, so deep was his sheepishness.

"Err, we could probably clear this spot over here..." he stammered, pointing to the large floor space by her desk. "I can sleep there."

"You weren't planning on sleeping in the bed with me?" The bold question flew from Kairi's mouth before she could consider the way it sounded. A hand clasped against her mouth and she turned away. Shoto's eyes popped as the red in his cheeks expanded to his ears.

"Oh, I assumed that you wanted..."

"I mean if that's what you would prefer..!"

"I don't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable..."

"I mean of course it's silly of me to assume..."

"I guess it does make sense since your bed is big enough for two..."

"What a scandalous thing for me to...!" When their overlapping comments of shock finished and the fluttering spirals in them settled down, the two awkward teenagers beheld each other's gaze. A conversation flew between the deepness with which they held each other, full of asking and assurances. Kairi was the first to give in and finally suss out the awkwardness that hung heavy above their heads.

"It's up to you of course. I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable in anyway. If I'm overstepping lines please tell me, but Shoto... I would feel terrible if you didn't share the bed with me. You're already going out of your way to make sure I'm okay throughout the night. The least I could do is share my bed, when there's room," she said to him, her voice soft and meek while she wrung her fingers together.

"If you're okay with that," he answered slowly, still feeling the heat on his face. "I'm the same in not wanting you to be uncomfortable, especially if this is too fast for you. But I also know that, especially with me, having close contact seems to also help you when you're anxious." She nodded. He raised his hands. "I promise that all we will be doing is sleeping and... maybe somecuddlingifyou'reokaywithit..." The last part of his sentence was so soft and run together, Kairi took a moment to decipher his words. The blushing just wouldn't stop between them, but her face did fill with an elated smile. He returned the smile and took her in his arms, running both his hands across her back . She inhaled his scent, his earthy smell warming and calming her heart.

"Yes, I'm fine with that," Kairi said. "I promise I also have... no intention of doing anything like... that. It's not really on my mind and I... it feels too early even if... never mind." The awkward anxiety wouldn't stop so she buried her nose, focusing on his smell again.

Shoto turned down the bed and the two of them fell in together. Kairi reached for the light and settled against him, laying her head on his chest, covered by a simple black t-shirt. She picked up her phone again, finally daring to look at the unread messages from her mother. It was apologies for not telling her sooner, and details about when they would be coming. Right before her birthday, of course. That was almost six weeks at this point. Then, she scrolled further, finding a recent family photo. There was a man with greying strawberry blonde hair beside her. Standing beside them was a young toddler girl with exaggerated light brown curls and in her mother's lap was a smiling baby, with a tuft of red hair.

"I have siblings. Really young siblings..." Kairi said once more. The impact was only just hitting, pain dragging down her shock. "Vivien... and Oscar." She looked through the description just below the picture. "Vivien is four and Oscar will be two later this year." Fingers lightly touched the family photo, right across her siblings face. "I have no desire to meet my mother, or her husband. But I have to meet my siblings, right?"

"Is that what you want?" The light raise and fall with the thrum of his heart played out a lullaby for her, soothing that stress that tried to well.

"If they exist I want to see them. Maybe this guy isn't bad, maybe he's a better parent... hell, depending on their quirks, Mom might be a decent mother. Even if they aren't, I mean... kids aren't always like their parents. And even if they are that's hardly their fault, right? They need to be taught differently." The throb in her was growing stronger, a desire to know who these kids were. Looking at their pictures, she could see a likeness in their faces to her. Without knowing a single thing about them, she felt pulled by their images. A need to be in their lives blossomed instantly. Kairi shook her head and returned her phone to the end table. Shoto pressed a light kiss to her forehead, pulling her into his chest.

"If that is what you want, you have my full my support. Know that I am always here should you need it." Her spirit sang at his words and touch. Her skin danced at the feel of her body pressed against his, her blanket swathed around them. To think, they were going to be like this the whole night. Strange how strong anxiety could rest with such glee.

"I know. I know I can rely on you for anything..." She watched her hand rest against his chest. She twitched, her mind spinning against. Kairi chewed on her lip. "Shoto... what do you see me as?"

"An incredibly strong and compassionate girl?"

"No. I mean thank you but obviously we're more than friends considering..."

"What do you want me to see you as?" She blinked. "I said from the beginning, I wanted to go the pace you went. You were in control. Clearly I like you quite a bit but I want to make sure you're... okay with whatever happens... next...?" He turned his eyes, showing an insistance to understand what she was getting at. Kairi's core buzzed with another wild cocktail of emotions, unsure if this was the right moment to bring it up.

"I think I still don't want it getting beyond our friends so I don't want to be too affectionate in public, considering the media but..." Her throat halted the words. Moisture escaped her speech. Kairi breathed in again, smacking her lips together. The tracing Shoto currently did with his thumb on her arm was incredibly distracting and making her feel slightly dizzy.

"Kairi, we don't have to be anything..."

"We're sharing a bed, Shoto..." she chuckled. "You've... had my back since day one and respected me every step of the way. You have been so patient with me and have only focused on my wants and wishes, sometimes frustratingly so... I have no desire to seek anyone else out in any romantic capacity and I guess, if you're okay with it. I would like to be official? You know... dating?"

His chest billowed with a victorious pride, one that he had to tame for fear of releasing his excitement at once. He willed himself to look cool, appearing to think it over, though his answer had already been there.

"So, you're talking us be an official item?" he remarked slowly. She nodded, hopefully.

"Yes, I'm ask... asking you to b-be my... boyfriend?" The word swam around their heads, releasing an invisible cannon of jubilant confetti. A sly grin found his face. Shoto pressed a thankful kiss to her lips.

"I was ready to be a long time ago," he answered. "Okay. We'll tell friends only... and your dad?"

"Yes, my dad's okay to know."

"Let's... wait on mine," he chuckled. Holding his new girlfriend tight to his chest, Kairi's worries mellowed and they slowly slipped into sleep.

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**As always thanks for all the wonderful beautiful comments I have been getting on this, you're all so nice! Reviews are always appreciated but definitely not required I'm just glad you're enjoying this story! Much love!**


	71. Pressurized

**Suuupperr short Chapter tonight, sorry about that, but I promised you're getting some good stuff soon! **

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They watched the car vanish just below the surface, bubbles and ripples retaining the only memory of the vehicle as it vanished below the surface. All Might raised and dropped his hand, at the moment he began the stopwatch. At that exact moment, Tsu jumped in after the vehicle. It was no surprise when three minutes passed and she turned up with the dummy strapped to her back and the baby mannequin in her arms. Her quirk made it quite easy to perform the training task, and she continued on to demonstrate her knowledge of CPR and assessing the vitals of the mannequins. When the teachers were satisfied with her demonstration, she returned to class to be met with high fives and pats on the back.

The class continued like that, resetting the scenario and watching one by one as each student went after them. No one had been able to beat Tsu's time, of course. A few had to come back up for air. All Might's timer ran out on a few of them - some by a little, some by a lot - indicating the student hadn't been able to save the dummies in time. Mineta had gone just before Kairi. He had reached mannequins and had missed the benchmark for the average time the average non hero person could hold their breath. Even so, he continued to carry through resuscitation procedures, All Might reminding them they should always carry through on the slim chance their lives could be saved. Mineta smiled proudly anyway, being met with applause for the work he had done.

Shoto patted Kairi's back just as she shook her arms, stretching them around her front and behind her. Anxious adrenaline began to flow. She scanned through her memory regarding every note and every lecture they had during their rescue and medical response training. Slowly, she muttered the basics of what she would need to focus on. She had become better at holding her breath and keeping herself calm underwater, but her doubt was heavy. She still was not where she had hoped she would be, even if she had been able to break three minutes.

"If there's anyone who can challenge Tsu on this, it's you," Shoto reminded her, his voice soft and warm despite the chill it caused to roll over her spine. She watched another of their prop cars get pushed into the curated lake once more. Her throat tensed, spiking her anxiety for a moment. No, she couldn't focus on the dread and the doubt. This was just an exercise and those were dummies, but it was vital to treat this as a real mission. Those could be real people, later on. Those could be people she knew. People she loved. She balled her fists, energy pulsing through her. She forced herself to will away the shakes in her nerves.

"It's no longer a question," she whispered back to him. "It's not a competition. However, this is meant to demonstrate a real life scenario. I have to treat this as if it were real, meaning I have to do this as fast as I possibly can. I have to imagine those are real people. I have to rescue them."

"Kairi, this isn't the only time we'll have to practice this. Especially not you. You're still working with Thirteen. Do the best you can now, but don't try to push yourself through this simply because you feel you need to be a great rescue hero at the moment," Shoto advised carefully.

"I have to. The media recognized me as this great new hero, and that little girl... she looked up to me. Someone like her could be needing my assistance somewhere down the line. I need to be good. I need people to know they can rely on me and I'll save them. I have to do this." Shoto furrowed his brow, looking with concern. Kairi took her stance.

"Don't burn yourself out, Kairi."

"Shoto, I need to concentrate..." She carefully said to him. Her eyes shut as she took in a deep breath. He watched, eyeing her calming pose. It was one she took in class when she was trying to calm her mind and dispel her emotions. He frowned, discomfort rousing in him. This was the opposite of what would help. Emotions are what helped to carry Kairi's heroic actions. Her strong emotion is what helped to save that boy. Being a hero was a balance between using emotion and logic. In Kairi's case, her emotions invigorated her adrenaline and caused her to power through. Emotions were the key to unlocking her decisions making and correct procedure. They powered her movements, made her move much faster than she would otherwise. He watched her open her eyes, as he still frowned.

"I think you're wrong," he said. She took a moment to look at him. "There's a time and place for you to quiet your mind in order for you to act as a hero would. But for you, you need that emotion to guide you in situations such as this."

"What are you talking about?"

"We've discussed this before - the compassion and care, the desperation you feel in the moment of saving someone gives you a superpowered fight response. While many may not be able to operate feeling such strong emotions, it's what helps to _make_ you operate effectively. Knowing these are just dummies, I don't think you will respond to them as quickly as you would in a real situation. You know no one is really going to get hurt if you don't do anything. The only thing that is in danger is your own self need to do well. You're putting the pressure on yourself and the pressure is not on the lives of others." Kairi placed her hands on her hips, scowling at Shoto. Confusion met with her mellow anger.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"You need a way to connect to this. This needs to feel real to you. I don't think you should find your calm right now. You need your emotions. All of them at this moment. Those mannequins need to feel real to you."

"So you don't _want_ me to be calm right now?" she repeated, lost by his words. He nodded.

"Yes. It's obviously too dangerous to put real people in there, but..." He tapped his chin, thinking. "What with crime climbing in Japan, and your... family coming to visit." Her body clenched, waiting for him to continue his sentence. "What if they encounter something? What if something happens and you need to jump in...?"

"Shoto-"

"There's a baby in the car. You have a baby brother, right? What if that was him, in the car seat?"

"That's-" Her chest flipped, considering the possibility. She looked at the bubbling lake, then over to All Might, who was just beginning to drop his hand to signal her start. Her esophagus twisted, the sensation plummeting down into her stomach. Fire burned under her feet. The images of her siblings flashed through her mind. What if something did happen to them? Family she didn't even know she had. More people she had a responsibility to protect - her own flesh and blood. Electric waves circulated through her whole. She recalled their faces, their eyes. Never had she wanted to see her mother ever again, but these new revelations... they were something else entirely. As the older sister, she felt duty fall on her shoulders. Her gut gurgled as she considered her kid siblings, the baby... if they had been met with evil. If they were ever attacked, of course she would immediately jump in after them. All Might's arm dropped.

In seconds, Kairi had plunged into the water. She kept the images of her siblings faces in their mind. She would need to be the best rescue hero she could, for their benefit. If there was a situation they needed her, she would need to be everything. Kairi kicked and spun her legs, drawing her arms out and in to get better speed on her movements. The car came into vehicle and her hands flew to her belt. Since starting the rescue courses and first responder training, she had equipped more items to her belt - first aid gear and small utility tools. Her right hand removed from her side a small tool that looked like a large tactical pen. Reaching the car she was already holding the tool above the window, pushing down on its spring. A hole punctured in the center, a web of cracking spidering out from the hole. Kairi swung her foot towards the hole and the window fell away. Water began to seep in quickly, so she took the opportunity to take a break in the small pocket of air still in the car. Hands reached for the emergency release button the car seat thankfully had. She knew the mannequins were high tech and outfitted to have a censor that could read if any resuscitation was performed on them. Even if that weren't the case, it was important enough practice and she blew into the mouth of the baby mannequin. Kairi burst back out from the car, laying the baby on the bank of the lake. She didn't even pause to make contact with her classmates - she jumped back into the water and sped after the car, retrieving a knife off her belt. She wove effortlessly back into the now fully flooded care and used her sharpened tool to cut through the seat belt. The girl pulled the mannequin to herself, pausing to give it a deep breath. Holding tightly onto the dummy, she powered through the water. Her legs pulse with urgency as she launched through the surface and rolled back out onto solid ground. She dropped the mannequin and began to perform the ritual of CPR on the baby, using two fingers to press under the sternum. All Might instructed her to stop on the baby and she returned to the adult mannequin, beginning chest compressions. She continued on, waiting once again for All Might to tell her to stop. Kairi retreated from the scene, looking at All Might expectantly. Water poured off her suit. Her hair clung to her reddened face. The thrumming of her heart beat wildly in her ears as she started to come down from the adrenaline that flowed through her, being replaced by the edge of worry as she watched All Might. It was hard to remain patient, her body shaking with apprehension. All Might's surprised eyes did nothing to help as she looked up at him.

"3:05," he whispered, leaving his mouth agape.

"But... that's... Tsu's time," Kairi whispered, left in the same aghast shock as him. The world still spun around her as her energy calmed, leaving her in a small mess of bewilderment.

"Exactly. I'm saying you matched Ms. Asui's time." As if to add evidence to his answer, he turned around the stopwatch. Three minutes, five seconds, fifty-two. Tsu's was Three minutes, five seconds, thirty three. Tsu had only surpassed by mere milliseconds. Their time was almost completely exact.

"How...?" was the only question her mind considered. Dumbfounded, she remained on the floor while he class looked on.

"Kairi..." Shoto whispered, dropping to help her stand.

"You did it!" Tsu shouted, jumping over to her side. She allowed her friends to jostle her slightly as she stared at her teachers. Aizawa looked across her with a mixture of pride and surprise. All Might's shock lessened as a big grin took its place. Her friends climbed onto her, giving her hugs and patting her back. It felt like the whole exercise happened so much slower than three minutes, and yet she had finished it in second place so far. Only Tsu had bested her. Frozen surprise melted and gave way to a torrent of joy. It erupted from her in the form of an exuberant laugh, and she reached to squeeze her proud friends.

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**Some of you may be sad to hear this, but I'm sure there's many of you that are okay with this - this is a very very very long story already and it obviously can't go on forever, but it is coming to an end soon. Don't worry, there are still plenty of chapter yet to come, but it's probably going to end before it reaches chapter 100. Giving you fair warning in advance, but there are plenty of goodies to come! :) There's some fluff, and one last arch and that will be it for this. Stay tuned for more, and thanks for all your love, support, and reviews!**


	72. Found Family

Momo's eyes widened at the image in the phone in her hand. Silently, she passed the phone to Yuga before taking an awkward sip on her drink. Yuga emitted an expressive "awww!" at the picture before he then continued to pass it aside. The group had gone silent at their booth, where they finished off their meals at the mall's food court.

"_Ribbit_! How do you feel about having siblings?" Tsu asked, smiling brightly at the picture of her brother and sister. The news was too heavy for her to carry, so Kairi finally spilled the details about everything to her friends. Momo already knew of course, but the others were not aware of the contact she still had with her mother. They were momentarily concerned until she reached the new twist about having siblings.

"I mean, I guess I feel a hundred things," Kairi said before she swallowed a bite of her hamburger. Tsu handed the phone to Izuku and Uraraka, who looked over the photo together. Uraraka cooed, Izuku let out a small chuckle. Kairi swallowed. "I felt betrayed at first, but also I shouldn't be surprised considering my mother. Then I felt shocked, which then led to a moment of depression because I never met them. Then I thought about getting to meet them and I was excited. Then dread..."

"So essentially, you experienced every emotion in a manner of a minute?" Iida said, taking his look at the phone before giving it back to Kairi. "Why do you think she waited so long to tell you? And why now?"

"Because she's selfish," Kairi snapped, looking at the boat of fries sadly. "I think there is something in her that cares about me and that's why she wants to maintain a connection but I also think there's the selfishness of wanting to be associated with a rising student at UA high school. But she also didn't want me to ever encounter the rest of my family because I still scare her so she didn't want say anything to me or her kids about each other. But now I'm making headlines and she wants to soak up all the attention and make it about her. So she decided she could handle me for a little bit in order to receive the attention. She _knew_ I wouldn't want her to come. She's probably figured out I'm trying to cut her off, she's not dumb." Kairi paused for a drink while her friends waited. "So she decided to use the kids because she _knew_ I couldn't say no to her if I found out I had a brother and sister. She figured I would want to meet them."

"That's _incredibly_ manipulative," Momo sighed with a sorrowful expression. "I am so sorry."

"And Todoroki knows about this, I take it?" Uraraka asked, in place of Shoto's absence. He was spending his free time visiting his mother that day. Kairi nodded.

"Yes. He was getting ready to leave last week after _D and D_ when I got the news. That's why he decided to..." Heat flooded her face and a hand flew against her mouth. Her mind sparked with the striking thought they had no idea he had spent the night with her. She coughed, covering her pause and Yuga stood up with concern lining his face. "I'm fine... Anyway, that's why he decided to stay a little later. He got back into his dorm a little past curfew but I was a mess."

"And you want them to come visit you?" Yuga asked. Slowly, she nodded. There was an echo of guilt in her expression.

"I do. I don't want to see my mom but I want to meet... my siblings. If something happens and my mother decides I can never have any association with them I at least want to have met them and know them. Maybe in 14-16 years they'll then decide to come after me and I can be around them then." Her stomach balked. That was an entire decade and a half. She really had no desire to be bonded to her mother any more but for her brother and sister's sakes...

"If you need us to stand by you, we will..." Tsu remarked proudly.

"Yeah! If it's too much for you to handle meeting them alone, we'll be right there with you!" Yuga said with a dramatic flourish as he rose from the booth again. "Of course, they'll be charmed to meet me! I can win over the hearts of anyone! And I choose only the most dazzling people to associate with so of course they will adore you!" He winked. Her chest lightened with a subtle laugh.

"Just tell us what you need," Momo smiled. "And we'll supply it." The weight thinned out as Kairi fell back into her chair. Something about just knowing that whatever came her way her friends would guide her through it just eased so much of her dreaded anxiety.

"You know what might be fun?" Uraraka said. "What if you bought them some fun toys for when you meet them? You could give them gifts! They would love that!"

"Yeah, we could help you pick some out!" Iida nodded. The group became vibrant again, discussing ideas for what Kairi could purchase them. She warmed at their talk, proud of the way her friends were so supportive. It was hard to believe she hadn't known them her whole life.

Her phone's alert distracted her from the hubbub and she flicked open a message from Shoto.

_Everything go all right? - S_

_ Yeah. I just told them about the sibs. - K_

_ About us? - S_

_ Working my way up to it. What did you mother say? - K_

_ She cried and she hugged me and she told me she was so happy for me. She wants you to come visit again soon. - S_

_ I'll make a point to do that. Everyone else is trying to drag me to the toy store to buy gifts for my brother and sister. - K_

_ That actually sounds like a good idea. Just don't get absorbed by the stuffed animals wall they have there! - S_

_ Come on, Shoto. It's me. Of course I'm going to get lost in the stuffed animals and you'll have to drag me out kicking and screaming. - K_

_ Well, your dad is a cop. I'm sure I could call him up and he could embarrass you by arresting you in the store. - S_

_ Yeah, that's the next thing I need! Another snapshot of me in the news except this time I'm getting arrested! - K_

_ Well, then don't get swallowed by the stuffed animals and all will be well :) - S_

_ Oh you're no fun! - K_

_ Fine, I won't spend the night in your room again ;) - S_

_ Nooo! Please I want you to! - K_

_ ... Wait for real? You want me to do it... again? -S_

She reddened at the text. Moisture formed on her palms and the phone started to slip from her hands. She gasped and snatched it just before it hit the floor - but then a snap of white light cut off her vision. Kairi followed the shuttering noise and then looked back up at another flash of light.

"We're trying to eat here," Iida said sternly.

"I apologize, I just wanted to get a few pictures," said the photographer as he twisted the lens on his camera. He raised back up to his face before Uraraka rose to clap the camera away from his hands.

"He said we're eating. We want to be left alone," she hissed. He groaned, but held up his hands to show his defeat.

"All right, I won't photograph you while you're eating. But you're the Emotive Iris, right? It's strange to see you with the rest of UA and the Todoroki boy not in attendance." Her rage growled in her gut as she cradled her phone in her lap.

"True, we're close. But our lives don't revolve around each other," she grumbled, eyeing him with warning.

"Perhaps not, but what is going on with you two? Are you a couple?" While guilt swirled within her, the rising fury overtook it.

"Why do you care? The type of relationships I have with my friends, who my enemies are, the people I associate it... my personal life is _none_ of you concern."

"People want to be able to relate to you. They want a hero they can trust, they can be friends with. Knowing who you like, who you don't... they'll become invested in who you are and you'll be that much more loved."

"I have enough love. Love that isn't transactional." She looked across the people in front of her, smiling gratefully. "That's all I need. I'm training to be a hero for the benefit of others and not for myself."

"Now, if you would ever be so kind..." Yuga said sweetly with a condescendingly grin. He rose from the booth and waved brightly to the paparazzo. "I hope you enjoy your day! Now please, let us alone!" Disgruntled, the man rolled his eyes and made a show of stomping away. Kairi sipped at her drink, looking across her friends with pride.

After having eaten til they were sure to burst, the whole group shortly found themselves in the large toy store. Kairi made a beeline for the stuffed animals, squeezing a large smiling otter before Momo finally ripped the animal from her hands.

"We're not here for you," she said.

"But they hold hands while they sleep so they don't float away!" Her tone was almost exactly like that of a young child not getting the toy they want.

"So you're an otter then?" Momo chuckled. "You need your hand held so you don't float away to parts of the store to buy things for yourself?" She offered a mocking hand. Kairi pouted and cross her arms, appearing like a defiant child.

"Well, you have that right," Tsu chimed in. "No one is _otter_ than you Kairi!" Uraraka and Izuku snickered beside them, while Kairi rolled her eyes with an audible sigh.

"I'm leaving you all behind!" she shouted, running back towards the other end of the toy store.

"Kairi, there's a jumbo sized elephant here!" Yuga sang on the other end of the store.

"WHERE?!" she yelled.

"_Aoyama_!" called all of the rest.

While Kairi did certainly take awhile to become undistracted from the mountains of stuffed animals, eventually her attention was pulled to looking for toys for her siblings. Without much interest to go on and not wanting to assume their interests, she finally settled on toddler friendly blocks for her brother and a pretend food and dining set for her sister. They finished their purchases and a gentle fluttering warmth resounded in her as she clutched the bags. She had been able to purchase gifts for her brother and sister. long had she dreamed about being able to do things with and for siblings before and now, it was all coming true. She hugged the bags tight as they exited, following the group to the next stop. Her phone dinged and she reached for it, looking at a photo Tsu had posted online.

_ moodyriri would not let go of that elephant!_ And indeed, it was a picture of her clutching the three foot tall stuffed animal that her father would have been livid about if she purchased. Even so, it was incredibly plush and from the corner, the viewer could see Momo trying hard to pull her away but also trying to keep herself from laughing.

Almost immediately after it's initial posting were two more alerts - both from Shoto. He liked the picture and then left his own comment.

_Seriously Tsu? Elephants and stuffed animals are dangerous for her. Who let her near it? _

Tsu could be heard chuckling beside her as she looked at her own phone, typing away.

_You can blame Aoyama for that one_!

Kairi's steps bounced as they walked along, her spirit free surrounded by those she cared for and knowing... that back at the dorms Shoto was waiting for her. He was likely heading back and by the time they reached the dorms, he would be there with a smile on his face and ready to greet her. She felt the grinning of her heart and could not prevent the stupid goofy smile from reaching her face. A boyfriend. She had never dreamed it would be possible and yet he was there. Her boyfriend. Shoto Todoroki was with her and by the looks of it, he seemed rather proud. She enjoyed this outing with her friends, always proud to have them by her side. But there was no denying that a part of her was rushing to hurry up and get back to him.

"Guys, listen there's..." She stammered, but her insides were soaring so high it was hard to get a handle on her words. "I have something else I need to tell you. Obviously because I don't want it getting to media and there are people around us I would rather not know I want... I want this kept between us all b-but..." Fingers wound tightly around her shopping bags. "Shoto and I, we... erm... It's been a week already but we've decided we're... boyfriendandgirlfriend." Uraraka's own shopping bags dropped from her hands.

"Oh my god, _ma cherie_, that took you _forever_!" Yuga drew out his words, expressing his boredom for the news. "It was obvious it was going to happen soon, but honestly it was stressing me out how long it was going to take you."

"That's really great!" Tsu exclaimed, patting her shoulder. "Of course we won't go blabbing about it. We'll keep it between us!"

"Just remember to keep up with your schoolwork and not get too distracted by each other in class!" Iida teased in his cheesy way.

"That's exciting!" Uraraka said, picking her bags back up. "How do you think his dad's going to react?"

"We're choosing not to tell him," Kairi replied sheepishly. "His dad doesn't exactly like me."

"That's impossible, how could anyone not like you?" Momo said, reaching behind her for a quick hug.

"Uh, well my mother clearly doesn't," Kairi half-joked with a hurtful air to her comment. Momo frowned, sadly.

"Are you going to tell her when she gets here?" Izuku asked. Kairi shook her head firmly.

"No. She doesn't need to know. And knowing I am dating the son of the number one hero would only make her worse. She would blab about it to the media and use the fame and attention I got from that to feed off of herself. No. There's no need for her to know and I refuse to tell her."

"Then we shan't mention it strictly outside of us!" Iida agreed, walking alongside the group as they headed into a gaming store.

"Ooh, are you going to spend Valentine's Day with him?" Uraraka asked.

"You should make him some chocolates!" Yuga suggested.

"I don't know if that's something we really want to participate in?" Kairi said, scanning the titles for something in particular. "I mean this is new to us and I'm not a huge baker. I can cook but..."

"You should try something small then!" Yuga continued.

"Ooh, what if you tried different fruit flavored chocolate?" Uraraka suggested. The conversation quickly turned to the best different combination of chocolate and fillings. Kairi sighed in defeat, shaking her head. She laughed all the same, deciding it didn't matter. Her major stresses of the day had flown from her chest and she was hanging out with some of the people who meant the most to her. Most of the day, she was so wrapped up in her time with them, she barely even noticed the crowds.

* * *

**The world is really scary and crazy right now, and it can be really anxiety triggering for many people - me included. If reading fanfiction helps you during this time of chaos and social distancing, then I hope my writing brings you some sort of comfort. Like so many people, I am quite a bit nervous about the things happening outside and being able to write this for you is giving me a kind of outlet. Thank you so so much for your enjoyment of this story, and giving me an audience to right for. It really is something I enjoy doing and I am forever thankful for your support. If the world is really freaking you out and/or you're holed up in self quarantine, know that I am right there with you, and if you need someone to vent to or just talk to someone who understand and is feeling the same, you are more than welcome to message me. I will happily read and reply and while I may not give you some sort of comfort, I can definitely listen. :) I love you all my dear readers, I hope you are all safe and I would every single one of you if I could. So please accept my love and my virtual hugs! :) **


	73. A Need for Closeness

Mr. Hoshino fell quiet quickly while his daughter slowly sunk in her seat. Kairi's shame warmed her cheeks, pressure bearing against her as she braced for the inevitable lecture. He remained silent, pushing around the medley of glazed sprouts and vegetables on his plate. As she grew apprehensive for his response, the clatter and low muttering conversation of the others patrons in the restaurant hummed as loud as summer cicadas. The din held her stiff, fingers nervously playing on each other under the table.

"You said this has been going for three years?" Robotically, she seemed to nod her response. He rubbed thoughtfully at the greying scruff on his chin.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked.

"So you've said," he sighed, deciding to take a stab at the steak on his plate. Kairi eyed the barely touched chicken skewers and dumplings on her own plate.

"I don't know what else to say..." she confessed.

"Sit up," he advised carefully. She adjusted herself so her back was pressed firmly against her chair and held her eyes wide before him, demonstrating her alertness. "Can you hold your legs still for a moment?" It wasn't until the comment she had noticed her legs had been shaking. "You don't need to fiddle your fingers either, Kairi. I promise I am not going to yell at you."

"You're not?" She felt her rib cage open, freeing the tension that had built. Kairi placed her hands freely on the table. Naoko shook his head, cutting into the cutlet of steak.

"No. It's only natural you would want to connect with her. For so many different reasons. I _am_ upset you lied to me about it. Do _not_ get me wrong about that." While his manners were polite enough to not draw any attention to their table, the look he gave her told Kairi all she needed to know about his emotions. He spoke gently, but the disciplined anger in his eyes was similar to the rage Kairi felt when she believed an injustice to be occurring. If that was the same look she held when she blew up in other's faces, she could understand their conclusion that she must be villain. The difference being - his was disciplined. Hers wasn't, and that was scarier.

She gulped and cast her eyes downward.

"I asked you several times if you had any desire to contact her. If you wished to see her. If you wondered what her life was like. How you felt about the distance between you too. Time and time again, Kairi, you told me you cut her out of your life. You wanted nothing to do with her. You didn't want to speak with her. You wanted nothing to do with her. I believed you. I could have read your mind and known you were lying but -"

"You didn't want to invade my privacy..." Her voice was a sheepish squeak, darting away into a corner. "I know."

"I'm not against my daughter contacting her mother but if she truly hasn't changed then she is not a healthy person to have around. She is toxic and I... I can't have her damaging you anymore than she already has. Especially when I could shut it down."

"Then you're not going to like what I have to tell you next." He paused, halfway through leading a piece of steaks towards his mouth. His arm lowered and he folded his hands in front of him. Shoulders fell back as he took on that authoritative silhouette he adopted when he wore his uniform. Mr. Hoshino cleared his throat and already wore judgment in his eyes. Terrified sparks electrified Kairi, holding back the secret she had dreaded spilling. Fiddling fingers fell back into her lap.

"I'm listening."

"She's..." A deep breath filled her lungs. The restaurant stirred, uneasy without knowing why. Kairi lowered her head, as if that would prevent them from feeling what she did. "She's coming here. Just before my birthday. So in about a month." Across from the table, the veins in his face were already beginning to tighten with anger. Her gut twisted, spiraling into her throat. She coughed, fighting against the anxiety building. "_Of course_, I was against it. I was ready to tell her off. Shoto was right there when she talked to me. I was firm on not wanting her to come, but then she threw me some pretty drastic move." He crumpled the napkin in his fists.

"And? What was that?"

"Dad. I have a little sister and a brother."

He froze. His whole formed stopped. It wasn't even clear if he was breathing. Servers and customers breathed past, but he might as well have been a statue with as still as he kept himself. When he finally did move, it was only his lips.

"That _fucking_ goddamn bit-"

"_Dad_! Remember, we don't call women that!" She hissed.

"I'm... sorry, it's hard not to use it with her!" The table shook with the force he slammed the napkin down. She jumped at the vibration. "I _wanted_ more kids. I wanted you to have siblings. And we were going to, around the time your quirk showed up. But then she... the things she said about you..."

"Broken? Damaged? Selfish? That I made her unwell? How she wished I could just grow up and control it?" Kairi sighed, recalling every mental slap of the echoes from her words. She winced, ignoring the biting deep within her soul. With each repeated word, his expression grew more whine. He was just as tired and beaten from the verbal abusive she had thrown around as she was. Weary with numbness.

"She said she couldn't risk having another damaged child. I see then. She saw your quirk as a weakness and believed that I was the one that caused it." Kairi swallowed, trying hard to ignore the tightening in her again. She looked around, begging for those around her to not react strongly. They seemed uncomfortable but still maintained smiles and conversation. A skinny exhale escaped her. It was a start. "And you had no idea?"

"Not until she told me."

"You kept contact with her, but never once did she mention her other kids?" he scoffed, insulted. "Did you know she had another partner?"

"Not a thing. None of this was told to me until recently." He made a face. "I'm not an idiot, I know was this is. She wanted to keep that whole side a secret until it was convenient for her to say something. Now that I'm getting pretty well known, she wants to be a part of that. She's using her children as a tool to get to me. It's all completely selfish and I'm aware of that... but..." He flicked his eyes back up at her. "When she's here I don't want to give her the time of day. I want all my attention to be directed to my siblings. I want to know them. I want to be something inspiring to them. I want to be a sister they can be proud of. Maybe Mom doesn't care, and she's lost all her chances. That doesn't mean I should give up on those kids. They don't carry her sins, right?" Slowly, he followed her remark with a nod. "That's not fair to them, and I want to know them. I'm doing this for them; not Mom. You won't have any contact with any of them, I'll make sure of that."

His silence was becoming too much to bear. He went on for two minutes, three minutes. Five minutes of pure agonizing silence almost shook anxiety through her whole form. But at least, Mr. Hoshino finally spoke, calm and collected.

"I could never deny you that. And it's not like you don't have a gang of heroes to call on if there's trouble now, right?" She smiled.

"Yes."

"All right; but I am too worried about her trying to manipulate you. Shoto, Yaoyorozu, Tsu, Aoyama, Midoriya, I don't care who but someone is going to be with you at all times."

"And I know how to call the cops, I'm covered, Dad." The ease around the table lightened, and she picked up two dumplings at a time, ready to gorge herself on the feast before her. A bright light from a distance went off. She growled at the now too familiar gesture and pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt, preventing any good shots.

"I thought he was going to explode in that restaurant," Kairi solemnly explained that evening. Fingers dabbled back and forth between two or three keys against her keyboard, guiding her character's horse towards a town tavern. Shoto smashed away at his own laptop across from her.

"Do you think he would have if you weren't in public?" he asked, trying hard to keep up with Kairi in the game as he ran alongside her on foot.

"Maybe. I don't know. He's always said he would understand if I wanted to speak with her but I... I... hard to say. Something in me just always felt he wouldn't be happy about it. His worry manifests in anger sometimes And he's gets just as worried about Mom's treatment of me as he would a villain."

"But he wants you to have someone go with you when you visit?" She nodded. "I'll be there then."

"No, you're going to be finishing up your internship then don't worry about it."

"As cocky as this sounds, I get internship offers all the time. It isn't often I get to play bodyguard for my girlfriend." The word still caused a flutter up her spine and titillated her gooseflesh. She stifled a giggle, peering just over the edge of her laptop. He rewarded her with a soft smirk, one that easily caused her heart to ooze warmth.

"It wouldn't be bodyguard, I'm sure it's fine. He's just being... Dad... why are you... what is this... Shoto!" Within the game, Shoto's character passed her seven different kinds of flowers found within the game. Before he then passed a glittering garment his also had in his inventory, and eight different gems.

"They're pretty and I wanted you to have them," the boy murmured with a reddening face.

"You don't have a stuffed ogre doll to give me instead?" Shoto frowned.

"...Nooo..."

"It's okay, buy me an ale instead and we'll call it good." His character walked around to the NPC bartender and soon three ales turned up in Kairi's inventory. She imbibed on them quickly and the edges of the Kairi's screen became a bit foggy. "Just send our characters to bed and then I suppose we should probably... log off... I have training after class tomorrow so early to bed I guess..." Sadness drenched her words. Something in her friends words seemed to get to her about taking a break. While she remained committed to her studies and was fascinated by them, carving out a bit of time to relax had reminded her how sweet and valuable it was. It was hard to tear herself away, but exhaustion was also making it hard to hold her eyes open. Their characters purchased a a tavern room for the night and they scurried up the steps to it.

"Maybe we can finally get a high enough level to take down that cyclo-... Shoto?" The computer made a noise, indicating a quest was being asked of her - at the moment she watched her _boyfriend_ \- that was so fun to say - put his hands on either side of his head and stare at the screen in horror.

"I... meant to click the bed to put him to sleep!" he apologetically professed. Kairi looked back down at her screen, quickly pursing her lips as her face flared with embarrassment. While the bulk of the game was mild enough in many respects that many teenagers played it without it causing much concern, there were some mildly more _adult_ elements that made the game just barely squeak into the mature category. One of them was a selection Kairi had never used because it required having someone in a party with high intimacy stats - she had never played in a party long enough to have high intimacy stats with anyone, until Shoto. Both parties had be standing next to a bed at the same time for an option to come up if they just wanted to go to sleep or... something else. They had both always picked "sleep" because both were too embarrassed and awkward to see the other option. She hadn't even been sure if she _wanted _to see the other option, though from what she read it was basically nothing. Black screen, an awkward noise or two, and sometimes an NPC child was born, if the character wanted it.

Now Shoto had misclicked, his teenage embarrassment making him overreact over a game option. For a moment, Kairi hovered over "No" - the answer to the proposition his character was giving. But then a suspicious smirk among her reddened cheeks told him she no longer cared - and clicked "Yes." Black screen, two short awkward noises that caused both of them to avoid the gaze of the other, saved game, and exit. They both closed their laptops, beholding each other's sheepish looks of shock.

"So I guess... bedtime?" she guessed, and then two more dark shades heated her face. "I mean of course I meant _real_ bedtime not, uh... I'm not... selecting the wrong option."

"Yeah! Yeah, are you sure you still want...?" Shoto gestured to his bedroll, waiting to be drawn out. She cast him a part of heavy, saddened eyes. "Right, yeah sorry I just... wanted to make sure."

"I - I know it's..." She sprung from the place on the floor, and dug through a small travel bag on his desk. He looked away, avoiding watching her as he kept his focus on the wall while he sat with his embarrassment. Kairi fiddled through her toiletries, making a show of it to avoid looking over at him.. While she took several moments in the bathroom, Shoto dressed quickly.

She gripped her face in her mirror image, horrified by her actions. Surely there were plenty of teenagers that had done far worse than her. And it was just a game anyway, and it wasn't as if anything obscene was shown. Yet her action clearly, obviously, must have suggested that there was something lingering on her mind. Of course he would read into that, who wouldn't? Kairi thought it was funny, and her response was one of mischief. But now that the embarrassment had time to stew and churn, it grew and made itself home. She rushed through brushing her teeth and was thorough in washing her face, hoping to scrub away some of the red. It remained, following her shame. Surrendering to the sickly grief for her sense, Kairi hung her head on the way out. Shoto had made himself comfy in his bed roll, a space open beside him where her stuffed elephant awaited. He looked content, looking over his phone.

"Uh, hi..." she said carefully, diligent in her care to slip into the bed with him.

"Hello," he replied with a charming tone, eyes dancing as he turned to look at her. His cool answer stunned her. He turned back to his phone, appearing completely normal, as if she hadn't just done something inappropriate.

"Uh, you're not...?" Her voice extinguished the question as he offered a questioning look.

"Hmm? Not what?" Her eyes flicked to the computer. Shoto's head shook as he dropped his phone in his lap. He turned down the covers, clearing room for her to slip inside. "It was an awkward two seconds, to be certain. But it's nothing more than a game, Kairi. Many people do things in games they would never do in real life, criminal things. I misclicked and you tormented my mistake with your response. Nothing more than that." He leaned to kiss her forehead lightly.

The casual reply twisted her with confusion, followed by relief. How had he not come to the conclusion she was certain he would? If the situation was reversed, she would have been racked with the hidden meanings between his reply, what it all meant, if that was really on his mind. Then again... she oft was told she saw double meanings where there were none and made up situations and issues thanks to her constant insecurity. Another situation perhaps, amplified by her feelings for him.

"You didn't think that was... on... my mind?" Quietly she squeaked out a response.

"Ah... no?" he asked with surprised. Then, he became a beet once more. "I mean, not til now that is. I assumed you were just having fun and being silly, even though it was a tad awkward. It's fine, really, I mean... unless it is?"

"Is it on yours?"

"No! That is, eh..." He quickly grew warm, feeling nervous prickles dance across his own skin. He dared a half second to cast a glance across Kairi's body, before his respectful sense slapped him and he turned away, gripping the blanket. "I'm... not going to deny that I don't enjoy quick glances of certain..." Fumbling over his words, he gestured casually in front of her, illustrating her angles. A tidal wave collapsed over the fluttering in his chest, slamming him with discomfort as he forced out an uncomfortable cough. "It, it happens. But I... I try not to linger because it's disrespectful to you and I do, perhaps... wonder... you know in the future. The far future, if anything... you know... am I making sense?"

"Your words are matching the mess that is in my brain," she chuckled, clutching her knees. She squeezed the elephant to her chest. "I mean it's the same for me. I do you know... look. Quickly. I won't if you don't want me to..."

"Its fine!" he quickly replied, then cleared his throat. "I mean, you can. I'm okay with it."

"Then it's the same for me. A short look now and then, but don't... don't make a show of it. And I do... wonder. In the future. Maybe in a couple years or you know... whenever. But not now. Definitely not now. I'm not... not really. I'm not emotionally mature for that and quite frankly I... as much as my father is insistent on making sure I have all the details and am properly informed for... that, erm..." It was now her turn to awkwardly clear her throat. She wrung her fingers. "I'm not. I have the knowledge but... no. Just no. Eventually, maybe. And I think I would like it. With you, I mean, just not... now. Not for a while."

He extended his hand, gripping her fiddling fingers. His lips softened with a smile, his tenderness soothing her anxious expression.

"Same, Kairi. Not for a while. Not until I really know what it means and feel more mature. I think I would... with you. Eventually. Years from now. A stupid silly motion in a game doesn't mean anything. We kill _ogres_ and steal in the game and yet we're training to be heroes. If we did that we would be a disgrace. It's just a game, dear. Just for fun, just for a laugh. Nothing more." He abandoned his bed to reach the light, before quickly running back and joining Kairi again. She gripped his hand as they both fell back against their pillows. His arms reached to pull her closer, taking in the aroma of honey and minted scented hair. The pleasant smell lulled him, finding comfort in the reminder of her presence while she fell against his chest. "Until one of us feels like we are ready and wish to discuss it, it will never be mentioned again. Instead, I am perfectly content with just the occasional look now and then."

She held herself tight, mindful of her hold against his body for fear it would be too much. She caged the squeal that suffered to be released from the feel of him beside her, from his gentle, relieving words and replaying his cadence when he called her "dear" - the first time he had used a term of endearment beyond "Riri." Everything about him was far beyond anything she could dream she would ever have. Yes, it was perfectly okay neither of them were ready to explain _that_ area of intimacy. For a long while, this was as intimate as she wanted to be and it made her happier than she ever thought she could be.

* * *

**Annndd that's as "mature" as things are ever going to get in this story, but I hope it gave you a laugh. Yeaaahh it's a super awkward conversation but I figured it was probably realistic that it would happen, and I thought it was a pretty funny way for it to happen - after all, come on. When playing video games, who doesn't try to be mischevious? Anyway, I hope you are all well, and staying safe! 3 **


	74. Strengthened Speculations

Again, she patted her hands against the edge of her apron, groaning at the smeared imprints she left. She reached for the whisk but her finger cut the edge of the handle. The wirey tool clattered onto the floor, leaving flecks of chocolate spattered against the communal kitchen. Her gut knotted, seeing her struggle speckled before her. By this time most people were hiding in their dorm rooms, Shoto visiting his mother again. The whine and shuffle of a door being opened perked her up. Kairi swiveled, breathing when she saw Kaminari enter.

"Oh, it's just you..." she whispered, smiling with relief. It began a frown when she saw Mineta appear just behind him and she rolled her eyes. "Never mind."

"Well, I certainly feel special," Kaminari chuckled as Mineta drew back, slightly saddened.

"No, no I just got... nervous it was... someone else. Forget about it." Chocolate covered fingers streaked over her phone, sliding between a candy recipe and news alerts. She cringed at one, shaking her head.

"Everything okay?" Mineta asked quietly.

"It's... it's nothing. I'm just so tired. I'm trying to take my friends' advice and take some breaks from all the work I'm putting in but it doesn't change that my schedule is still busy. I had to see my counselor today and I had to run home and rush this before it gets too late and I run out of time. Not to mention, I haven't begun my homework yet. My latest test score went from an A- to a B and that's... strange for me. I've always had high marks."

"You _are_ taking on a lot," Kaminari said, stepping closer into the kitchen and observing the artistic mess she had made of the kitchen. "I know becoming a rescue hero is important to you but take care of yourself as well. What _are_ you doing anyway? I know you make your own meals once in a while but you can usually get through a recipe smoothly without much..." He powder piles on the table and the smears of chocolate on the ground. "Hassle."

"It's February 10th," Mineta scoffed. "It's clear that she's making chocolates for Todoroki."

"What? N-no, I'm...!" She fumbled with the whisk, running hot water over it and reaching for the dish soap. "I'm practicing baking..."

"You _hate_ baking," Mineta said with a matter of fact air. She glowered her eyes.

"Okay, look maybe... I got convinced. Maybe I felt some sort of pressure because I'm concerned and worried I won't be very good at being a gr... great friend." Mineta raised a suspicious eyebrow to her. "And I don't know, isn't there something about giving a good friend of yours chocolates on valentine's day? Homemade?"

"If they're someone you have a romantic interest in, yeah," Mineta said. "You don't usually do it with friends."

"Well, why not? I mean why can't we just do it with friends? Why does it have to be just someone you like?" Her skin stiffened with the tension that reverberated from her heart, feeling caught by her classmates.

"Sure there's nothing wrong with that..." Kaminari agreed, looking across the unattractive globs of chocolate that sat in a mold tray. "But this seems like a lot of work, doesn't it? Especially since you don't like to bake."

"I, well, maybe I wanted to tr..." Furiously, she spun her arm around in her bowl, the chocolate growing darker in color the more she spun. The tension broke and defeat collapsed inside her. "Okay, okay! Yes, I got it in my head thanks to conversations around me and what I read online about valentine traditions and now I feel like in order to prove to Shoto how I feel about him I have to do this or else, you know... what's the point? Will he ever really know? Maybe it isn't obvious to you..."

"It's obvious," Kaminari and Mineta said in unison.

"Okay, maybe but does he know how much? Does he truly understand how I feel? Am I doing any of this right? I mean _clearly_ I'm not doing any of _this_ right..." She dramatically motioned to the mess around the kitchen. "But I thought by making it myself maybe it would mean more and I... I'm... failing. I can't get baking of any kind and this is supposed to be an easy recipe but I burned the first batch and chocolate is just so _time sensitive. _Baking is in general which is why I don't like it and everything just has to be _so exact_! I..." Before her classmates, she was already beginning to shake everything surmounted. Mineta and Kaminari exchanged looks. Kairi's phone pinged. She poked at the screen before the newest alert tangled through her emotions. "And this isn't helping. Earlier I received an alert that one of the less involved characters of QuirKey has been released which makes me mildly concerned - and now, apparently that goddamn paparazzo who interrupted my meal with my dad the other day... Well..." She turned the phone towards them. There was indeed a picture of Kairi looking sad while her father talked seriously. The boys took a moment to read over it before Kairi pulled it back, taking a glance at the content. It was a short detailed article about sighting her in public, and speculations about the seemingly heated discussions she seemed to be having. None of the predictions were correct, ranging everything from lectures about dating, to disappointment on grades, to lecturing on the proper usage of her quirk. She took solace in knowing not a single bit of her conversation about her mother was heard. "They're everywhere. Do you deal with this every day?"

"We've gotten used to it, though Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki get the most of it it seems. It's distressing," Kaminari agreed. "You just reach a point where it becomes every day."

"But I don't know if I can handle all this attention! Everywhere... I knew I would receive some as a hero but this is... invasive."

"Unfortunately if you and Todoroki go public you'll only receive more," Mineta said with somberness. He picked up a spoon from the counter, passing it between his hands. Kairi gulped, dropping the whisk into the bowl.

"Is this what being a hero is? Am I subject to this? All the time...?" Everything in her dropped, pulling and twisting til bile formed in her throat. She pressed a chocolate smeared hand against her gut. The stress was rising again. Kaminari immediately took to her side. He didn't reach for her, but remained close just in case. "All this pressure weighing on me, this attention... I want to help people, I _want _ to make a difference. More than anything in life but all of this... is this worth it? Can I do this? If anything, with Shoto means more attention is it every something I want?" Her breaths grew short and tight just as Mineta ran to fetch a chair. Kaminari helped lower her into it and then picked up her phone, returning to the recipe for candies she had pulled up.

"Yes, you can," he said quickly. "Hoshino, it seems like it's impossible, true enough. And it's hard. It was hard for us and seems as if it's harder for you. But the whole class has watched you improve from the beginning. Your confidence has grown. You have fought past your stress and nerves to get to where you are. Situations that used to strike fear in you before now make you only minimally uncomfortable and you just deal with them. It's the same. Yes, it's an invasion of privacy and they should just leave us alone. But it's something we all learn to handle. We get stronger, we learn how to respond. We figure out tricks to get past them. Some of the heroes even make friends with some of the press who then help in getting others to leave them alone." Mineta nodded, following along.

"Yeah, you've done really well in class! You entered farther behind us and struggled with mental health, but you've shot to our level!" Mineta celebrated. "I am surprised by how much you've been able to fight and improve yourself. Not just as a hero but dealing with mental illness, and I'm sure we don't even know half the story."

"It's tough but you _are_ strong enough to handle it. You've shown it, more than once. It is worth it, you can get past it. With time and practice, as you have been doing. I would go so far as to say not only can you do it, but you wouldn't be able to let anything be without reacting. Think about that boy that you saved from those apartments?" Kairi looked up at him. "You couldn't leave that alone. You had to jump in and do it. It doesn't even seem to be something you can control. It's in your nature to jump in and help, to save those in danger."

"And you're a natural at it too! You breezed through all those rescue missions!" Mineta added enthusiastically. Kaminari gripped her shoulder, warmth spreading on his smile.

"You can do it. You've shown you are able to, and we believe that hidden strength you have will carry you through this. It's frustrating, but with time, you'll be able to shrug it off."

"Baking... might be a bit different though," Mineta said, sliding a finger through a cocoa mess.

"Yeah... This is a disaster..." she moaned, looking over the chaos. "And I only have a little bit of time before Shoto gets home. Maybe I should just buy chocolate."

"Naw," Kaminari said, shaking her phone at her. "This recipe looks easy enough. We got time to kill. Mineta?"

"Yeah!" He shouted, raising the spoon as if it were a torch. "Let's get baking!" Kairi smiled, leaping up from her chair.

"Let's do a quick clean up then and start over!"

In moments the kitchen was clean again thanks to the efforts of all three of them. Baking became surprisingly easy with the other two helping. She kept eyeing Mineta, waiting for him to make another one of his unsavory remarks, but not a single word was said. He did, however, attempt to form a rather suggestive body part by manipulating one of the molds, but an annoyed smirk from Kairi was all it took in making him return the image to normal. In a mere half hour, they were ready to place in a fridge to cool.

"Thanks," she said, using a sponge to wipe down the inside of the bowl. Kaminari tossed a small carton of cream into the garbage before shoving a canister of cocoa powder back into a high cabinet. "I was feeling overwhelmed and like I wouldn't be able to get it done."

"It may seem like we got everything together," Kaminari said while he wiped the counter and Mineta cleaned the remaining particles from the floor. "But every single one of us has seen some shit around here, and dealt with shit. Things we expected, many we haven't."

"Almost all, if not everyone, is in some sort of counseling," Mineta said. "Some of it is the usual hero prep, some of it for things we've seen in training and the awful things we've seen in fighting heroes. Others are just normal life things we struggle with. Anyone who attends UA and isn't in some sort of counseling, I don't know how they're doing it."

"Not all of us are good at showing our emotions but... we're all dealing with a lot." The kitchen sparkled as Kairi looked it over, holding the trays with the chocolates on them. It had been impossible to think they would be able to finish in the nick of time but with their unexpected help, they had managed it.

"Which may be exactly why you and Todoroki need to be spending the time together you are," Mineta said. "It's about time something good happen to someone around here."

"Thank you...!" Kairi breathed, the gratitude spilling over and seeping into them both. They both exchanged the same proud grins. Kaminari reached for one of the trays from her, Mineta took the last one from the counter. The three of them delicately carried the chocolates as if they were precious gold, up each set of stairs til they reached Kairi's bedroom. She unlocked the door and paused, eyeing at Mineta carefully. He smiled innocently, only slightly convincing before Kairi rolled her eyes and allowed them in. She kicked opened the mini fridge in her room and quickly rearranged the few snacks that remained inside. The three trays fit just perfectly before they gave their good byes. Mineta lingered, his twitching eyes drifting towards the dresser. Fidgeting fingers hung at his sides. Kairi balled her fists, ready to take a step forward and swat at him. However, Kaminari jumped forward and grabbed his friend's wrist. "Sorry," he said before ripping the small boy out of the room and letting the door shut behind him.

She collapsed against her bed, curling against her pillow. A moment of peace. Finally, a few free minutes to let herself take a deep breath or two before launching into her homework. And, surprisingly, unexpectedly... she owed it Kaminari and Mineta. Kaminari wasn't the surprising one, she always got along well with him... but Mineta rose to the occasion. It wasn't enough to change her mind, for her to not feel annoyed and disgusted by his presence. So many of his comments and actions were... despicable and revolting. But it was intriguing and relieving to know that if a situation was dire and called for it, she could rely on him to happily lend a hand. There was some genuine care there, for certain. Even if he needed a complete adjustment on his approach towards women. Somewhere, deep inside... he cared for his teammates, no matter who they were.

The knock at the door snapped her eyes open and Kairi jumped to answer the door. A smile was ready-made, knowing it was Shoto back from visiting his mom. But the phone held out to display a message; first a link to a suspiciously familiar photo and then a text chain. Kairi swiped the phone, tapping first on the link that showed Kairi and Shoto standing intimately close to each other. They had stood behind a tree, behind a convenience store they just visited which they assumed to be quiet and often overlooked. They had only stopped at the store for a few things and she reached up to hug him for something. Clearly someone had been waiting. In order to access that point, someone must have trespassed into someone's yard. More knots inside again. Of course. So the press was overstepping their bounds in order to discover that yes, there was something more than friendly happening with them. There was no hiding it much longer - proven by the next chain of text Shoto had to show her.

_Shoto! I understand we can't trust what the press shares but I know you're really close with the Hoshino girl! Are you two really dating? I would love to finally meet her! _\- Fuyumi Todoroki

_Yeah, Sho, if there's really something going on with you two we need to meet her and make sure she's good for ya! Just kidding, sure she is. But we should see her! _\- Natsuo Todoroki

_What about the weekend after Valentine's Day? Natsuo is coming home for the weekend, we could meet then!_ \- Fuyumi

_Yeah, bring her over maybe have dinner or something, Fuyumi can cook_! - Natsuo

_Natsuo! - _Fuyumi

_You want me to cook? Your funeral!_ \- Natsuo

Kairi blinked, shrugging. "That doesn't seem so bad? I mean I wouldn't mind meeting them..." Shoto shook his head, tapping at the screen on his phone.

"That isn't the concerning thing..." he sighed. Twice he poked at his screen and then turned it around.

_Shoto, we need to have a serious conversation about the Hoshino girl. Immediately. _\- Enji Todoroki.

Kairi's heart impaled itself on her ribcage, dread filling its place.


	75. Bleeding Hearts

**Somehow, my charger arrived earlier than anticipated and after a thorough wipedown with Lysol wipes, I was able to plug in my laptop and get back to work! Soooo new chapter for you!**

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Hands clenched against her lap, Kairi kept her eyes down as a bowl of vegetables passed across the table. She flattened her hands against her folding legs, examining the lines on her palms.

"It's unfortunate Dad couldn't make it," Shoto's sister said as she politely set the bowl down and finished filling her own plate. Sitting beside her, Shoto looked over at the empty spot where Enji Todoroki was meant to be.

"Unfortunate?" growled Natsuo Todoroki, waving a pair of chopsticks in front of his face. "You think this dinner would even be happening if he agreed to come?"

"I know you wanted a chance for the whole family to get to know Kairi, but do you want to invite that kind of stress onto Kairi, Fuyumi?" Shoto asked just before he bit off a piece of pork.

"I..." Fuyumi looked at her plate sadly before prodding the rice with her chopsticks. "I suppose that's correct. It might be too much at once."

"Besides that, we're already aware of his opinion of Kairi. Do you think he would have approved of who Shoto is dating?"

"He didn't care when I brought someone home," Fuyumi said.

"Yeah, that's because you aren't the child he bred to be powerful," Natsuo sneered. Tension coiled in Kairi. Shoto paused to cast a glance her direction before clenching his jaw.

"Could we please stop discussing our father? It's upsetting Kairi." To assure her, he reached forward, taking her fingers in his grip. Briefly, a portion of the awkwardness eased away. She found a smile for him.

"Yes, I would very much like to not speak of him at all, it doesn't make for good dinner conversation," Natsuo said, before swallowing a large piece of pork. For reasons that were clearly complicated and it wasn't hard for Kairi to deduce what the division in the family was, Enji Todoroki refused to join the family dinner and so Shoto's brother Natsuo happily agreed to be there. However, he did request to see Shoto and Kairi at his office after the dinner. It was hard to feel comfortable dining with his family knowing they were to be visiting Endeavor afterwards. He had already made clear his feelings towards Kairi before and they weren't friendly. Now, it was unclear just how furious he would be regarding the new information regarding Shoto and Kairi being a couple.

"So, erm... may we call you Kairi?" Fuyumi began. Kairi wordlessly nodded, picking at her rice. The heaviness in the air hadn't changed one way or another and she felt held in place by an invisible vise. Unable to move, she sat stiffly and pushing her chopsticks around her plate, legs folded under her in the traditional Todoroki Japanese dining room. "You have an emotional quirk. That's interesting."

"Yeah..." _You can probably tell how awkward this is for me right now_. "People feel what I feel. It was really difficult to get control of but with my friends' help and Shoto's, I'm beginning to get control of it. It's helped me advise or calm people down though."

"It's really powerful and effective," Shoto said, face filling with the strength of his smile. "But that isn't all. Kairi's abilities are not limited to just what her quirk can do. She's also very wise and careful with her words, and her compassion is enhanced by her quirk. She's also great at climbing and can move fast and is rather stealthy. Many of the abilities that are making her a hero are enhanced by her quirk by aren't the bulk of it, which is really fascinating." The bursting pride in Shoto's voice shrunk Kairi as she wanted to slip under the table cloth. In the corner of her mouth, a humble beam could be seen shining from her flattered grin. Fuyumi seemed to notice this, looking warmly between her and her youngest brother. Natsuo made an approving noise and leaned back from the table.

"Well, isn't that something," he chuckled. "It really is true, isn't it?"

"I was aware you and Kairi were close, best friends even but... when did this happen anyway?" Fuyumi asked.

"To be fair we were trying to hide it from the press. We knew they would would harass us and... well... Dad," Shoto winced before he silenced himself with more food.

"You didn't do a very good job," Natsuo teased, smile still bright.

"The press doesn't like to leave UA alone," Kairi quietly said, pushing a sprout around. "It's unavoidable. Unless we want to stay in one of our bedrooms and never leave, we could never really have any private peace."

"Staying in your bedroom all day doesn't sound too bad if I- OW, _Fuyumi_!" Her elbow collided against Natsuo who cast him a threatening look. Shoto dropped his head over his meal, using a hand to shield the bright red glow that conquered his cheeks.

"_They're sixteen_," she hissed.

"Technically, I'm not quite-" Kairi began, but dropped the point completely.

"So? At that age that's exactly the kind of thing you're thinking about! I'll be impressed if they make it a year before they decide to-"

"Stop, stop, stop, we are _not_ having this kind of talk at the table!" Fuyumi said quickly, holding up a set of hands in surrendering defeat. "Kairi! Your dad, he's a police officer, right?" Her chest relaxed, thankful for a normal question and veering away from whatever conversation was previously occurring.

"Yeah. He was out for a bit because he was injured but he's in full force at it now. And the work is piling up too. He has a mind reading quirk which is very useful in getting confessions but is only used in special cases in certain circumstances because of the ethics of it. It's really fascinating, many with that quirk would easily let it fall to corruption and use it to their own power and benefit, but my Dad never has once. He's let it slip on accident from time to time but he's never done anything horrible with it. Because of that other departments ask to use him for their high profile cases so he gets paid incredibly well and has a lot of work."

"Well, it seems like his grounded morals and ethics has seeped into you," Fuyumi said with a kind smile. Kairi's heart jolt, appalled by how striking her appearance was to their mother, Rei. She had the same eyes and face. The only indication of her being Endeavor's daughter was the red tips to her snow white hair. Kairi sunk away from the compliment as Shoto looked on proudly, not surprised by the remark. She nibbled on the pork to avoid saying anything in response.

"It's about time something good happened to this kid," Natsuo said, slapping an encouraging hand against Shoto's shoulder. "He's far deserving of it. And you seem like a warm-hearted girl from all angles."

"Mom loves her," Shoto said. The butterflies flew inside of Kairi.

"Then that's all the endorsement I need," Natsuo said. "If Dad ends up hating her, then that makes her perfect."

"He already made me hear it at the hospital after QuirKey," Kairi scoffed. "Trust me, I'm sure this news has pushed him even further from being my fan."

"Do you have any siblings, Kairi?" Fuyumi interrupted, probably looking to shift the conversation from Enji Todoroki. Shoto paused mid swallow, and then slowly finished before shifting his weight automatically to Kairi. He blinked, waiting for an answer. Kairi's torso rippled with freezing tension. She held herself straight and placed her hands back into her lap, her fingers running over each other with thought. She swallowed, finding it painful.

"Yes but I've never met them. I actually found out very recently that they even exist. My mother is... not really a part of my life. She lives in Keswick, England and works a desk job at the police department there. Her kids are between her and her new husband."

"You have baggage with her, don't you?" Natsuo said, detecting the change in her voice.

"She couldn't handle my quirk, verbally abused me, and just left to go have a new life. I suppose in a way it's easier than what you had to deal with." Her heart clenched. "I suppose I should be grateful."

"Are you serious? No, there's no need for that. It doesn't matter how 'bad' you believed it was or how you were treated. It affected you negatively, it was abuse and there's no comparing or gratitude to be had from comparing," Natsuo said, surprising the rest of the dinner table. "Your pain is pain no matter what it is. There's no such thing as easier, better, or any of that. You suffered and that's that, and there's no excuse or lesson for any of it." Briefly, her chest swelled with relaxed tension and gratefulness for his words. She turned to look at Shoto, expressing her relief for his brother's words.

"I don't want to see her but... I want to see my siblings. And I have to do that by maintaining contact with her because they're so young."

"You do what you need to, but don't let her manipulate you into doing so," Natsuo said.

"Shoto said that you're interested in being a rescue hero and are seeking advanced training in first response, is that true?" Her ears pricked, drawn in by the change of the conversation. The discomfort began to set aside and exuberance rose in its place, fascinated by the subject.

"Yes, I am looking to further my rescue tactics as much as I can. I want to do more than just pulling heroes from rubble. I want to have some nursing experience so I can help pull to save even those who are badly injured on the field, take care as much as I can before they even get to the hospital," Kairi told them brightly.

"That's not an avenue that's often explored," Natsuo said, finishing the rest of his food on your plate. "Most of the attention seems to go into fighting against villains, but that's incredibly honorable work. That's amazing really."

"What are you studying at University?" Quickly diverting the attention from herself, she listening intently as Natsuo spoke about his own experiences with classes. It switched to Fuyumi's stories from the classroom and some of the more bizarre and silly occurrences with her own students. As stressful as it seemed, in the end she seemed to adore her job and it was rewarding to listen to someone be passionate about their career. As dinner drew to an end, the conversation grew lighter. By the end, they were laughing and Kairi had her head against the table while Shoto relived their survival training mission and once more shared what he thought to be the highlight of the trip - Kairi's insistence on wanting a funnel. She glared at him, giving him a "you'll never let that go" eyes before he proudly continued.

"Well, that's that Shoto, you have successfully ensured that your girlfriend is never going to step foot into this house again," Natsuo teased before a guffaw followed. Shoto rolled his eyes as she reached to help clean up supper. Her spirit bloomed once again at the reminder of that word. _Girlfriend_. It was silly and dramatic, but it was impossible to deny something about it felt magical and ethereal. Seemed unlikely and forever unobtainable. "It's weird, isn't? Didn't think I would see you dating anyone for a long while and here you are."

"Why because you thought I was always so cold hearted?" Shoto said, moving the dishes off the table and rising to help Fuyumi carry them to the sink.

"Less that and more concern that you didn't know what to do with a girl, or that they even existed."

"That's just ridiculous," Shoto laughed. Kairi spun her head, watching the Todorokis casually clean up around her and prod each other with jokes. Slowly, over time, the unease lifted and they began to appear like any other silly family. Healthy, joking. Much like she and her father did. The fondness among them grew in the atmosphere and made her feelings dance in their contentedness. "I have received _many _praises about the way I kiss and touch." His mischievous expression sought out Kairi for confirmation. Instead, he was met with bulging horrified eyes and a stiff form ready to scurry under the table.

"Oh ho! Does Shoto have the moves then? That's surprising!" Natsuo cackled heavily while Fuyumi began to fill the sink to wash the dishes.

"_Natsuo_! Seriously, do not ask him for details and Shoto, you don't owe him anything! That poor girl is probably mortified!" Fuyumi scolded.

"Mortified and dead!" she clarified, slamming her head against the now empty table.

"There's no need for them to take this; Shoto, you can take Kairi and leave. Natsuo, _you_ are helping me with the dishes and we are _not _discussing any details about Shoto's private life!" It was fascinating, and a little sad at how easily Fuyumi fell into the role of a responsible and scolding mother. Shoto had hinted as much but even if he hadn't, it had been clear who had done the raising and nurturing in Rei's absence. Shoto left his siblings' sides and extended a hand to Kairi, pulling her up from the floor. His hand tingled as it pressed against the center of her back, leading her towards the front of the house. In a very old fashioned manner, Shoto reached for her coat first and held out the arms, waiting for her to slip into it. As the two prepared to head outside, the other two Todoroki children appeared in the entryway, smiling at Kairi warmly.

"We're so very glad you could make," Fuyumi said, holding her hands in front of her with sincerity. "It was very nice to formally meet you, we enjoyed having you over."

"Yeah, you've tamed this one, a feat we thought was impossible," Natsuo said. "Must have some kind of special power if you did that."

"You act like I'm insufferable," Shoto said.

"Give it time, Kairi, you'll see." Natsuo winked, with pulled a laugh from Kairi's chest cavity. Natsuo frowned as he looked at the two teenagers in their coats. "Time to face the beast then?"

"Yeah... grin and bear it, I guess," Shoto mumbled, looking at his feet.

"Kinda rude to do that to you on Valentine's Day, isn't it? He couldn't let you two just be out and be you know... alone? Be a couple?" Kairi's shoulders shrunk, feeling the small paper box in her pocket.

"Would it be him if it wasn't actively looking for ways to squash other's happiness?" Shoto snarled.

"Stop," Fuyumi said, being met with an eye roll from Natsuo.

"Well, you're dating the daughter of a cop so I guess he would be pretty stupid to do anything reckless."

"He can't hurt me anymore and he knows that. He knows that I am exactly what he intended me to be and that will stop him more than anything. Which is exactly why he wouldn't dare be rude to Kairi." Awkwardly, she wound her hands together and remained staring at the floor, clicking her feet together.

"Please, you're welcome to come back any time, Kairi," Fuyumi happily said. "Have a good night you two."

"Yeah make sure after you're done at the office you two get as wild as possible!" Natsuo shouted out the door just as the couple slipped out the front.

"_Natsuo_!"

Kairi waved back at them, watching them disappear as they made their way down the drive. Her other hand remained clamped around the box in her pocket, clinging to it as if it were a driving force.

It was impossible to look him in the eye. He stood with arms crossed, waves of fire brushed around his shoulders and arms. Enji glowered down at them, standing behind his desk. Shoto met his eyes, refusing to be intimidated. Kairi on the other hand, shrunk into herself and fell small in his presence. This was a man who knew how people reacted when they looked upon him and relished in it. He didn't flinch while Kairi inwardly gave way, remaining quiet.

"Do you understand how foolish it is to flaunt your relationship in front of the press?"

"Flaunt?" Shoto scoffed. His heart steeled itself against his father's intentional demeanor. He hardened before his scowl, finding a calm anger invigorate him as he waited for that inevitable remark to Kairi's character. He equipped his spirit, twitching fingers ready to lash should he slander Kairi in any form. Now and then, he cast a look to the girl beside him, a reminder to her trembling form that he was there, wouldn't abandon her, and he was ready to jump to her defense if need be. "We've stood close to each other. I guess you could say that at this point you can easily correctly assume we are more than friends, but you'd be hard pressed to find a picture of us even holding hands or kissing in public." Endeavor raised one brow, as if it surprised him they had kissed at all. "Kairi's private and doesn't enjoy doing so in public anyway."

"It doesn't matter. You are aware of how the media reacts? Any picture out of context, and many have no issues with editing a picture to appear scandalous. Do you know what that could do to your reputation, Shoto?"

"My reputation?" he scoffed. "Is this really about my reputation or about your disapproval in my choice of a partner? Because she doesn't meet your quirk specifications or doesn't have any physical power behind it?"

"I never once said that you couldn't choose who you dated."

"Perhaps not, but we both knew this day was to come. I could theoretically choose who I wanted to date but you first wanted to condition me to believe that I needed to be looking out for someone who was powerful in quirk, in status, and met the exact specifications you tried to demonstrate not in your words, but your action. We always knew that my girlfriend was going to come down to your ultimate approval and you would never be okay with anything less than your ideal. Regardless of her having the greatest personality and the most caring heart I have seen. Regardless of how she jumps to the defense of others or how she forgets her own struggles in order to jump to someone in need. Regardless of her being the greatest person I could ever meet. I don't care about your approval and I don't need it. Kairi is the one I want to be with."

Both the Todorokis beheld each other, holding still in their stares as they waited for the other to do something. To Kairi, it was as if they played chicken with their eyes, looking to out scowl the other. Cramped by the aggressive atmosphere, she stepped to the side to escape from the anger umbrella that formed over them. A simple heavy exhale seemed to be the only indication of any give from Endeavor, though he kept his glare.

"Very well. If you have no need of my approval then there is no point of you even being here. If she gets you in trouble with the press, do not look to me to bail you out."

"That is never going to happen."

"It already did. QuirKey."

"_That_ was my choice. I will never blame her for something I did out of my own choice."

"Just know that who you involve yourself with also influences your hero status, Shoto. Don't let your future waver just because you couldn't control your hormones." The words slicked from Endeavor like they were poison he was dispelling from his mouth. Kairi's pit tightened, squeezing her full of anxiety as she rocked in place. The soles of her feet burned with a desire to leave, looking at the window with longing.

Leaving him a trace of a snarl to show how he felt, Shoto took Kairi's hand and pulled her towards the direction of the door. Excited to flee as soon as possible, she followed and was the first to slip out the door. When it had entirely closed, she paused to look over at Shoto. He wore an unreadable expression and her concern flared.

"What exactly... happened?" she asked, finding the whole exchange cryptic.

"Well, he isn't a fan," Shoto said, guiding her towards the elevator.

"That much was obvious."

"His whole legacy has always been more powerful quirks, and his plan, while unspoken, was to encourage me into a quirk marriage. Some woman from a respectable family with a powerful quirk is what he hoped I would want. Unfortunately for him, I don't choose my partner based on their quirk. I prefer them to be sweet and cute." He touched her nose affectionately just at the elevator doors shut. She giggled as lightness swirled away the clenching in her insides.

"But we're in high school, why should marriage even come into this?"

"Because in his eyes, there's not point in dating if that's my destiny anyway. Besides that, if I marry as young as I can, that leaves more time for more opportunities to produce powerful children. It took him four tries to produce a child with a quirk more powerful than his own and if it took me more times than that? Genetics are unpredictable, so I would need to marry and start producing children while young." The elevator began to whir as he pressed the button for the bottom floor, the ugly fluorescent lights basked them in unflattering light. Shoto's description of the type of partner his father expected was... sickening. It felt as if someone toyed, kneaded her intestines as she let his words sit. She shifted in her discomfort.

"That's... the kind of stuff sick religious puritan zealots make their children too. And isn't that like... a form of eugenics? Oh my god that's all the awful shit you hear about depraved organizations and cults doing..." Kairi pressed a hand to her stomach, the jostling of the elevator not mixing with her reaction to Shoto's news.

"Yeah, exactly. Besides that, it's not like I would want to marry someone who wasn't first a wonderful person and that I didn't care deeply for. That's just common sense and really the reason most of the world marries anymore so I don't know how he expects me to be anything else. Especially considering my mother. The most loving and compassion woman I have known, next to you. And she would be so disappointed if I followed through with that. Well I'm not like him and I never have been, so he's just going to have to expect that I'm not going to have relationships like he did." He startled her as he raised a fist and slapped it against the STOP button. The elevator shook first, and then whirred down. freezing somewhere between floors six and five. "The thing that pisses me off the most is him trying to target you like this. He didn't say it, but I know him and I saw it all in his eyes. He finds you unworthy and despicable. He thinks you'll make a weak hero, and goddamn he is so fucking _wrong_. Strength isn't just measured in power. I might be able to physicallly take down enemies in a way you can't but he hasn't seen you and he doesn't know you. He hasn't seen the strength of your heart, the strength of your mind, the strength of your will. In so many ways, you are so much stronger than me. He's wrong. He's never been more wrong about anything in his life, except maybe for the way he treated my mother. And it..." Shoto's fist shook as he held it up, scowling at his curled fingers. Anxious uncertainly quaked through Kairi, pulsing her nerves.

"Shoto?" she asked quietly.

"He asked us to come here on Valentine's Day on purpose. Just another one of his fuck yous, I suppose. Well, that doesn't matter. He thinks he can intimidate me to end things with you, but I really don't give a shit. The only person who has that power is you, making you more powerful than him in this case. God, I bet he hates that."

"Can we just...?" she began, but then her hand hit the side of her pocket. She gasped, feeling around for the paper box. Kairi pulled out the handmade red box, holding to him in the hopes of calming him down. "I'm sorry this upset you and your dad's a dick but I... I made these." He raised a brow with interest. "It's not very good and I had some help because I'm not a baker as you know. But I worked hard on it. They're hearts and flowers and some silly emoji faces which is dumb but I thought they would make you laugh at least..."

Shoto wordlessly took the box from her and pulled at the tab excitedly. Sparks sputtered and burst wildly as he turned over the chocolates; some milk, some dark. The anger that recently displayed on his face was replaced by a boyish joy, tickled by the presence of the homemade chocolate. They were very homemade looking in their imperfections, making them far more perfect. He popped on in his mouth quickly surprised by the subtle hint of cherry flavoring. He ate another one, tasting orange flavoring before flying back over to Kairi and sweeping her up in his embrace.

"This is just a silly social convention. This isn't something you needed to do, dear," he said, a gentle purr to his voice that made Kairi's chest flip.

"But I wanted to... I wanted to make sure I was being a good girlfriend. That I'm good enough."

"You've always been more than good enough, Riri." he brushed aside a piece of her hair.

"I never thought I would ever even be with someone, much less someone as wonderful as you," she breathed. "I'm nervous I'm not doing enough to make sure you know that I'm here beside you, your partner on and off the field. I'm just... I just want to be good and I guess... I get uncertain."

"You are as perfect as you ever need to be. I'm sorry we had to come see my father today but we needed to get it out of the way and he was insistent on..." With his arms still holding her, Shoto's eyes swept up to the camera lingering in the corner of the still stopped elevator. A devilish grin swept across his lips and he looked back at the girl in his arms. "He tried to send a pretty despicable message by making us come here on Valentine's Day, but I think there's a way we can also send him a pretty aggressive fuck you. If you're willing, and with nothing more than your enthusiastic permission of course."

"What is that?"

"For a million obvious reasons, I don't intend to get obscene about it but no matter what, it would still be pretty aggravating for my father - who is probably watching us leave the building and talk right this moment - to watch us kiss for several moments in an elevator in his building."

Without another word, Kairi was already pulling Shoto to herself, her lips held firmly against his with her impatient passion. In the perfect fusion of desire and defiance, she wrapped her arms around him, raising one hand for a perfectly visible raise of a single middle finger to the camera.

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**Once more, I hope you are being safe. Much love to you as always, thank you so much for your readership! I adore every one of you!**


	76. Redefining Relationships

**CW: This chapter BRIEFLY mentions domestic violence in conversation.**

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Shimmering crimson streaked the back of her hand as she pulled it from her mouth. A throbbing sting punctured the side of her mouth. Rich iron filled her taste buds before she spat against the ground.

"Are you serious?" Bakugo growled. "That small hit and you're already bleeding? You really are weak. You're smart and you know how to move quick, I'll give you that. But have you really learned nothing about defense?"

"Funny thing about blood vessels is the slightest trauma can cause them to rupture. Doesn't mean I can't take it, though." She was fully aware she was spending another Saturday not taking a break, not taking a moment to relax, and instead using it to build herself up into a better hero, one that she felt she needed to be. Thirteen had paused her training sessions for fear she was taking on too much. While she had been swayed to take the occasional break, it was still concerning she wouldn't be taking enough. Recovery Girl was giving her nothing but book work and only on occasion. Her newest training involved basic self defense. While she hadn't planned to be a fighting hero, focusing just on rescue efforts, it would still be necessary to protect herself against attacks and guard the person she was rescuing. The issue was it had been hard to learn proper self defense against training dummies, and Shoto had made it very clear he was _not_ on board with intending to attack her and inevitably causing her any damage. No matter how much she pleaded, no matter how many promises she made, it was a firm line for him. Even for the purposes of training, he could no longer do so in good conscience.

"I'm not going to apologize for refusing to hit my girlfriend," he had said, voice stern when they met in her bedroom earlier.

"It's not the same thing as that, Shoto."

"I do not care. I was fine with attacking you with my quirk before we were anything, but it's no longer something I can do. I'm sorry, but no. You'll have to find someone else. Actually, no. I strongly advise against it, in fact. You've been going hard on pushing yourself, whether it be through book work or physical training. You need to stop. I thought this conversation was already had. You are pushing yourself _way_ too hard."

"There's media attention on me now, Shoto! They expect me to be this great hero. I've finally moved from people assuming I'll be a villain to looking up to me! The support for me online is increasing and people are excited to see the type of person I will become!" she had argued passionately. And it had been true. Over the last few days, her frequent photo presence in the press had continued to garnish praise. People really seemed to enjoy seeing a hero behave like a regular person, living their daily life. Even if she was curious where half of the photos came from because she hadn't recalled seeing paparazzi in some of them. Even if camera still made her antsy. Even if many of them included Shoto and people couldn't stop stanning their relationship and were already imagining them getting married, what their children would look like, what animals they would have. She didn't even look to see what kind of fanfiction existed, if any. That was a dark, dark realm she refused to venture down.

"What happened to ignoring the press, refusing to play into it?" he had begged.

"I hate it, but don't I owe it to others? To be an inspiration to them?"

"You don't owe anyone anything. You're a hero just being who you are. Training is important but I beg you, do not destroy yourself over it! Especially not when you're stressing over your mother's arrival."

"I need to be someone my siblings can look up to! I don't know what mom told them about me!"

"Anything negative she told them, you can easily disprove just by being you, Kairi! Being the person you are easily won me and our friends over. Don't you think that's enough?"

She walked away before the argument escalated and decided to ask someone else. When her friends refused - either because they were also concerned she was taking on too much, Shoto had given them a heads up, or likely, both - she had turned to someone she believed would help her. Despite Bakugo's brashness and rude demeanor, it had been difficult to not believe he also wanted her to succeed. Surprisingly, he had agreed to meet early Saturday morning, reminding her he still had better things to do later but was more than willing to "show just how much more powerful than her he was" and that she might also "pick up a few tricks so she wouldn't get pulverized."

This was how they all found themselves in a training gym that weekend, with the very concerned permission of their teachers. Worried, Shoto stood off to the sidelines with the rest of Kairi's closest friends. He was wringing his own hands now, pacing in front of the rest of the small crowd as Bakugo went in for another attack. Shoto hissed, his heart clenching as he turned away.

"You're fidgeting more than Kairi when she's anxious, _ribbit_," Tsu observed as Shoto walked in front of them.

"It might do you better to take a seat," Momo said, moving a wooden crate from the training debris towards him.

"Tried, I can't sit still for even a minute," Shoto responded, eyes forward. Kairi had moved quickly to the side to avoid Bakugo's swinging fist. No quirks, she had said. There was no way to plan for specific quirks she would go against, but she could learn basic defensive moves that would serve her across the board, for the most part. Kairi leapt back just as he kicked towards her, grunting angrily. She brought up her crossed arms, wailing at the feel of the impact of his punch bearing down on her. Shoto's gut twisted at the sight and he continued to pace in front of them.

"She is going to be in so much pain tomorrow," he moaned sadly.

"She needs a day to just... sleep for twelve hours, go on a nice date with you, play some _Seawall_ for a couple of hours, and take a long bath or something," Momo said.

"A day? " Yuga giggled, arms held close to himself apprehensively. "Try a week. That poor _mademoiselle_ has been torturing herself for the last several weeks. It will take more than a day to recover."

"You know, she may have overshot it and stressed herself out a bit too much," Iida began. "But you have to admit, she is quite different from who she was at the beginning of the year. She's made progress in controlling her quirk, yes, but it's more than that. She doesn't appear to be as timid as she used to be and she's growing more defiant when it comes to letting herself speak her own mind. She's still nervous, but she forces herself past it. Maybe we should start recognizing how far she's come beyond her quirk and she'll relax a little bit?"

"Huh, yeah you're right Iida," Izuku agreed. The group winced as Bakugo landed a kick against her side, and she coiled into a fetal position before she swiveled herself the opposite direction and swept his legs out from under him. Bakugo stumbled in surprise but gained his footing back. "She's become quite a bit stronger in her spirit, The core of her personality is there, but she's grown in her abilities and determination to make sure she's the best kind of rescue hero there is."

"That was all there before, she just needed the right people to pull it out and the right kind of motivation," Shoto said automatically. He bit his lip while he watched the scene before them. "Damn it, Kairi, why the hell do you have to be so stubborn? And what made you ask _Bakugo_?"

"Because she knew he would agree to it," Momo replied plainly. "You can't really be surprised. She's tired of people thinking she's weak or can't do things. That's probably what upset her earlier when you told her no. She probably thought 'At least Bakugo considers me worthy enough to fight.' Can you imagine if you thought the person you were dating thought you were weak and unable to do it?"

"That's so _far_ from my reasons though!" Shoto snapped, taking a moment to look over at his friends. "I didn't want to fight her because I _didn't want to hit my girlfriend_. I made that clear. I watched my father beat my mother, why would I want to do that to her? Even if it was only for training purposes? I don't think she's weak, I told her that, several times. I think in many ways, she's stronger than me."

"In what ways?" Tsu asked. "You talked in the elevator at your father's building."

"Yeah..." Shoto colored, remembering their lengthy talk. First filled with aggression to his father, and then it turned into something a little more ten minutes. He smirked through his embarrassment. It felt so rich to know that Endeavor, number one hero, had been incredibly annoyed at the ten minutes of footage of his son greedily kissing his girlfriend in an elevator he owned. The lecture he received over the phone had been worth it. Kairi initially found it exhilarating, but her own wild anxiety caught up with her over it, concerned it would be released to the press and she would be considered... a different kind of girl. Of course that wouldn't happen - because then it would make Endeavor look bad; his son, his building. Could he not control his own son? What values was he teaching? Countless other questions that would reflect onto him. Of course, nothing happened and they moved on but... their friends knew nothing about that part. Kairi had promised she hadn't mentioned _that_ bit.

"I recall her saying something about how you believe her stronger than you in all ways - except physical," Momo reminded. There was a drop in his soul, and he cringed at the memory of his own words.

"I did say that, but... that's also not a bad fact? Every one has different strengths and weaknesses. There's nothing wrong with her not being able to go against a villain in traditional combat. We have different heroes for different reasons," Shoto explained, trying hard to drown out the sound of fists flying and shouting.

"While true, maybe it's not a good idea to continue to hash it," said Momo. "Most of us still have some combat experience, and she probably feels left behind. Besides that, she likely is going to encounter some combat issues if she's going to run right into the crossfire to save someone. Even if she had a partner who can take it. And she's correct - she may have to defend the person she's rescuing. She does need to know _something_ Shoto, but the way she's going about it may not be the best. But your comment, while inherently innocent and well meaning, may have made her think she needs to get strong fast. She may be trying to prove something to you, hoping to be the person she thinks you need her to be."

"Kairi struggles with anxiety, Shoto," Yuga reminded gently. "That means she probably overanalyzed, overthought, and is now obsessing over it." His friends well meaning words sunk into him, clinging to his sense. He knew immediately they were completely correct, and quickly his mental state knocked him around for his insensitivity and ignorance. What had she said before? She was trying to be a good girlfriend. She had felt she wasn't that, despite that being exactly the opposite. Guilt sunk in him, poisoning his confidence. Was he being a bad boyfriend? Was he not being supportive? He thought he had been doing well, surprisingly well considering the lack of romance he had seen in his own house. Had his support been lackluster? Had he not considered her own feelings and chosen his words carefully? Shoto looked away from the fight, considering his own emotions and actions.

Kairi's fist swung against Bakugo's own, deflecting it from her own face. Her quick movements had served well in preventing him from colliding with her too much, and her smallness had helped in escaping his attacks when he thought her pinned. But it wasn't going to do much in deterring a villain from coming after her or whoever she was meant to rescue and protect. Her observing eyes caught Bakugo's leg swinging up towards her. She dipped her head and rolled her torso, narrowly avoiding the hit. Without thinking, her right hand launched forward, a ball fist striking him right in his chest. Bakugo coughed, and stumbled back from the blow. A half a second saw his eyes brighten with shock, a pleased grin on his face.

"Huh. You found an opening and caught me off guard. Maybe you're starting to catch a few tricks from an expert, or maybe you're just pretty damn lucky," he said. Strangely, her center warmed with pride at the comment, despite it not being much of compliment.

"Great shot, Kairi!" came a yell from across the gym. Shoto threw his hand up in the air, crying to her to boost her morale. "You've long wanted to put Bakugo in his place, right? You can easily do that, no problem!" Her smile was small, but it stirred up gentleness and warm buzzing beyond her soul. Warmth expanded her vigor as it seeped into her bones.

"Arrrgghh!" came Bakugo's ignored moan. "Seriously? Now? Can't you like... pause that stupid emotion of yours for a moment or not like... _look_ at him? Its bad enough I have to put up with the occasional giddy flare you feel in class when you so much as look at him. Do not make me feel it while I'm fighting with you, it's so goddamn weird."

"I can't really help-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it can't you just think about something else that makes you feel something else? I'm sure Endeavor isn't happy about your relationship and that pisses you off, focus on that instead, okay nerd?!" he said angrily, being strangely encouraging. "You can focus on being in love later when you go to his room or he goes to yours tonight."

The synapses in her mind collapsed before combusting. The gears paused and her attention drew to Bakugo immediately. She lost her stance, and her concentration was no longer existent. A single sentence broke her, several components of it a shock to her fragile system.

"What did you say?" she said quietly.

"Oh come on, seriously, don't make this fight any easier than it already is!" he scoffed, throwing up his arms to express his disappointment. "Look, it's not exactly hard to figure out Endeavor might not be pleased with the idea of you two together."

"No! The... what the... you said love, that isn't... how could you possibly... no, that's ridiculous, that's not it, we're just..." But was it, she considered? Was he just speaking out of his ass as he so often did? The word was shocking to her, but it felt... good? Like it fit in a perfectly shaped crevice and grew her with a blissful glee. She enjoyed him, adored him, cared about him but was that... was that what it was? He meant a lot to her but how much? She figured she must have had some kind of love, after all she loved her friends. It was like that, right? That same sort of care, admiration, concern... but that didn't fit quite right either... no, it wasn't the same as her friends. Obviously since they were dating but... was it?

"Damn it, Hoshino, you seriously can't tell me that something as pathetic as that has broken you and you can no longer fight?" Then her wavelength changed, swiveling to the other part of his comment. She passed on the "love" remark before her soul stiffened with horror at the other part.

"You _know_ we've been spending the night in each other's rooms sometimes?!" She began to scream it, but quickly softened her voice to avoid the others knowing. Bakugo groaned again, charging towards her. She leapt out of his sight, grabbing his arm and pulling it behind his back The blonde boy wriggled out of her grasp and his knee met against her side. She threw her head back, calling in anguish before letting her arm fly towards him. He skipped out of the shot and positioned his elbow to ram into her. Kairi rolled away, dodging it narrowly. Her fingers shot forward, taking a hold of his wrist and twisting it. He hissed before he called out in fury. Another kick, followed by his second one. The first one, she shuffled to the side to avoid, but the second one clipped her ankle. Kairi stumbled onto the ground and just as she was able to roll back to her feet, Bakugo's whole body slammed against her gut. Spit and blood flew from her mouth as she shuddered under his weight. Bakugo's hand's pinned her against the ground, a knee holding down her stomach. Victorious eyes glared down at her while her expression bore defeat.

"Yes, all right? I know. I don't recall seeing either one of you follow the rush to get back into your rooms at night. I wake early to train with Kaminari every other day and I usually see either you fleeing the boys dorm to head back to yours or I see Todoroki coming back into the boys dorm. It isn't exactly hard to work out. Well, maybe some of these losers are too stupid to notice, but I certainly did."

"How long have you noticed it?"

"Last two weeks? It's not something you do all the time correct, to keep up appearances? I would guess it's two times a week?"

"Sometimes three..." Kairi breathed pulling in large breaths back. She shook her hands and Bakugo released them, relaxing his knee against her stomach. "You could easily get me in trouble, you know. We're not allowed in the other wing and if you said something to someone, we both could get in a lot of trouble. We could be limited to things we could do in class, get detention, and you could be rewarded for it."

"What the hell do you think I am, some stupid girl in some awful American teen high school flick?" he snorted. "What would that accomplish and why would I care? Playing dirty isn't how I succeed through things. It doesn't matter to me where you are, or what you two do at night."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No!" He scowled, appearing offended. "Why would I care and what does it add to my life for others to know? Doesn't really seem to be my damn business, does it?" Despite how much sense his words made and realizing that it should not have surprised her that he was keeping it quiet, it still was a powerful shock wave of information that froze Kairi. Bakugo backed away just as Shoto was the first to rush to her side, pulling up her arms and assessing her for the damage.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked immediately as Momo displayed the first aid kit they thought to bring with.

"You didn't have to come and watch me," she expressed to them all as they crowded around her.

"Yes we did, shut up _mon amie_," Yuga said with a smile as he used a alcohol swab to wipe at the blood smears on her cheek.

"You think we weren't going to cheer you on when Shoto told us you were doing this?" Momo said, working on removing her shoe.

"Plus you were worried I was basically going to die," Kairi remarked knowingly, shocked eyes still focused on Bakugo who seemed mildly thoughtful, though perturbed.

"I have things to do," he snarled, crossing his arms.

"Thanks_," _Kairi whispered. He held her awed eyes for a moment as she mentally relayed the message that the gratitude was for more than the training. He shrugged, and exited the gym quickly. Shoto and Momo pulled at her arms, helping her to her feet. She winced as she tried to touch the ground.

"In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best idea to let myself get beaten a week before my mother arrives," Kairi said, regret beginning to form.

"Probably," Izuku chuckled. "But Recovery Girl will heal you in no time. You'll have nothing but small cuts, barely noticeable when they arrive."

"He knows," Kairi whispered to Shoto, who looked at her quizzically. "About... sleepovers." She hid the word in a cough, flying from her mouth. His eyes popped. _Also he said something about love, but were going to ignore that for now, I guess? He doesn't know what he's talking about... right? _"But he doesn't care so he isn't saying anything?"

"Hmm, what's that? Are you in a lot of pain, Kairi?" Momo asked.

"N-no, it's... okay!" Kairi breathed quickly, jumping over the subject.

"I'm sorry," Shoto said, wiping at the blood dribbling down her chin. "Look, you don't need to push yourself to prove anything to me. In time, slowly, in a healthy manner you can learn combat training. You will. You will get there, just as you have succeeded in everything else. You _do_ have that strength, Kairi, I know you do. I should have been clearer in my wording before. I don't want you to think I don't support you, nor do I want you think you're behind me or any of us. That isn't true at all, but I need to be more careful with my wording and I need to be more sensitive some times. The only pace you need to go is your own, no one else's. You don't need to prove anything to me. Yes - I have no issue with you learning self defense. But too much stuff, too fast is not healthy for you. When things calm down, I would be happy to support you getting some training in combat techniques - from the sidelines because I refuse to be the one hitting you. It's not me thinking you can't do it; I just don't feel comfortable being the one doing it. With a professional, someone you maybe aren't so emotionally connected with."

As Shoto spilled his aggrieved confession, stumbling over his apologies and explanations, Kairi's stomach rolled with amusement. A laugh bubbled out of her as her bruised hand reached forward, touching his face as Tsu closed the first aid kit and the others worked to clean up the minimal mess she and Bakugo made of the room.

"I was a little worried, to be fair, that you thought me weak and lower than you when you refused to fight me..." she admitted.

"I didn't, I-"

"I know. I realized I was overthinking it. Because you are a real gentleman, of course it would make you uncomfortable, and... yeah. I have been overdoing it. Again. I should be doing even less considering how stressed I am over my mother coming next week."

"I'll help with the stress. I'll help you prepare in anyway you need me to. I'm sorry, if I haven't felt the supportive boyfriend I need to be. I'll do anything you need me to. I'll come with you to the airport. You say the word and I'll do it." She grinned, and watched as her hands joined with his own, swinging them together. Her heart blossomed at his expression, how desperate he was to make up for the things he felt he did wrong, when she felt in the wrong - torturing herself to be better, taking too much time away from herself and from them. Not taking a break, overloading herself. By damaging herself, she was also damaging him with worry and concern. Nausea swept over her while she thought about how much he probably worried. A relieved, deep, accepting defeat left through her exhale.

"I'm stopping - til the end of the year. We have, what? A month or so left of school? Anything that isn't necessary homework. I'm done. I can work on that other stuff slowly, over summer break when it comes. I can do combat training a little when our final year begins, and prepare for the license exam. I can continue to do so, in moderation after I pass. And I can do all that extra studying for rescue stuff when I apply for university and get in. I'm done. Nothing extra. I promise." Lines of concern seemed to vanish from his face at her words. Shoto swept her up, an elating fluttering flying through his own chest. He watched her eyes brighten, his insides exploding at the warmth and relief they expressed. Even she appeared relieved at her own decision. She looked so tired, and worn.

"I'm sorry I've been a terrible boyfriend," he pouted, pressing his forehead against her own.

"Shush, I'm sorry I've been an insufferable girlfriend. You've been perfect. I'm the one who's been awful."

"You're never awful, Riri." Her heart flew, finding the rhythm with his own before she reached to kiss him. Deep, but gently, she expressed her care, finding a strange meaning within it. Was Bakugo really seeing something she didn't? Did she really...?

An alert on her phone interrupted her thoughts. Her hands instinctively went to reach for it in her discarded coat, finding another social media update with yet another paparazzi photo of her from the other day, when she told her father good bye. Shoto looked at her sadly, glancing over at the phone.

"You know what? You're right. None of this social media paparazzi nonsense anymore. Just me. Not gonna look at the comments, and I'm not going to search the media for some kind of validation. I'm just going to do me and what I believe a hero should be." She pulled on her coat, making sure to stick her phone away into her coat pocket - but Shoto's hand grabbed her bruised wrist.

"Wait," he said. The urgency of his voice drew the attention of their surrounding friends. They gathered beside them, Momo clutching the first aid kit to her chest. The group looked to Shoto with puzzled worried, following the link between his hardened eyes at the phone she still held. He took her phone, pressing the button to light up the screen.

"Kairi... This is in your yard, at your house," he said.

"Yeah? They're sometimes lingering around the fence," she said. "It's not like people don't see me walk into my house sometimes. It's annoying, but it happens."

"But this is _in_ your yard. You know angles. In order to get this shot, where would you need to be standing?" He held up the phone, expanding the picture. Kairi's hand flew against her mouth as she looked closer, examining.

"In order to get that shot, they would have to be standing near the tree, physically _in_ my yard... Someone's been trespassing."

"_And_ following you. How many of those pictures in the media have suspiciously not had anyone credited to them?"

Another weight of terrified stress fell onto her shoulders.


	77. Close Proximities

**CW: This chapter's content includes stalking, specifically stalking a minor.**

* * *

"Where is Hoshino now?" Aizawa asked, looking over the assorted photos Shoto had painstakingly searched for and printed off the internet. Most of them had seemed innocuous, and similar to others the rest of the paparazzi had tried to get - one of her when she left school one weekend, one with her friends in town. One where she was walking very close to Shoto in downtown Tokyo. Another where was met with a few random strangers - faces blurred - who asked her for her autograph. The photo of Kairi being scolded by her father. Among the general paparazzi photos were two photos in particular that were rather creepy; one where Kairi and Shoto were half-hidden in one of the skinny alcoves in the mall. She smiled, while he gave her a tender look as the two of them seemed to be deep mid conversation. It disrupted the comfort Shoto had as he showed it to them, but it was vital information. The creepiest one of them all was the one in the center, the one that had been taken in her yard from behind a tree. Aizawa scanned the photos, All Might lingering nearby. The former hero leaned over, pursing his lips with serious depth.

"In her dorm room," Shoto said, leaning against Aizawa's desk. He had been unable to leave Kairi's side all night. She had needed a good long sleep after all the stress she had been enduring, but the last couple days had filled her with so much dread, sleep was impossible. The both of them had not been able to get sleep. None of the photos had been taken on campus and the policy against paparazzi was so strict, they were certain whoever was taking the photos had not been able to get onto campus. However, none of that information helped her anxiety subside. So he hadn't left her side for two days, doing everything he possibly could to get her mind off things. The threat was so daunting he had been unable to leave it alone. When Kairi finally admitted she could not calm herself down long enough to get to school that Monday, she sent a message to Aizawa, claiming the need for a mental health day. While Shoto offered to stay with her, she practically pushed him out the door. But his worry for her surmounted all through class and while she would hate including other people to fret over her, it dawned on him perhaps it was best to get some Pro Heroes involved. During lunch break, he located all the photos that had no name credited to them in the media despite the strict regulations many of them had about crediting the people responsible for them and paying for them.

"Is she alone?" All Might asked. Shoto shook his head.

"I talked to Yaomomo about it during lunch. As soon as class was over, she immediately went to join her. She's keeping an eye on her."

"It's strange these are different news outlets," Aizawa said, observing the notations Shoto placed in the bottom corners of the pages to indicate where he retrieved them. "They _all_ have photos with them with no credit who took the photos? Isn't that rather odd?"

"Even the oldest copyright laws in media demand someone be credited with ownership of photos like these," said All Might. "If they haven't been credited, they could face a lawsuit. Media outlets wouldn't dare risk anything like that. So what is it that made them feel comfortable enough to publish these photos without the fear of being sued? Is it money? Are they being threatened or were they paid a substantial amount?"

"Ugghhh..." Aizawa groaned, sinking into his chair with an exasperated frown. "Of course we're going to need to call these places and see if we can track down the trail of these photo submissions... I don't really want to deal with that."

"Do you think Kairi has a stalker?" While direct and blunt, it was impossible for Shoto not to blurt out the question. Aizawa looked to All Might to answer the question, who awkwardly shifted on his feet while he searched for the answer.

"It... happens. Almost every Pro Hero has had at least on in their life. I have unfortunately had a few. Most of them were something of a romantic stalking, but one or two of them were simply... fanatical in general. It's incredibly messy and I have had to get police involved and the courts with some of them. It's terrifying and disgusting, but all of that wasn't until well after I had become an established hero as an adult. Hoshino is..." he took a deep, painful breath. "It's unusual to see it happen to a training hero still in high school. A young female, sixteen years old, with the struggles Hoshino has faced? I cannot even begin to imagine what she's feeling at this point. She's probably downright terrified."

"She feels safer here than anywhere else, but she hasn't slept in the last two days. Yaoyorozu was going to try to get her to nap, but I don't know if she was successful," Shoto said, while he reached into his pocket to take a look at his phone. No messages or updates. "Yesterday, she was throwing around her personal items, looking to see if any cameras or microphones had been hidden in her room. Of course I don't think there's any reason to believe anyone could have gotten into her dorm room on campus and done that." Aizawa folded his hands together, remaining quiet. All Might's color drained, as he traced patterns across the wood grain.

"Chances are, you're right and it is simply her anxiety going into overdrive," All Might agreed, sounding somber. "However, that isn't to say something like that hasn't happened. And I hate to say it - but that kind of thing happens more with females and other genders over males. As I said, seeing a stalker for a teenage rising hero is very unheard of and not something that has been seen at this particular school - but Kairi has risen quickly in a few short months and gotten support very fast. Her full story isn't well known to the public, but bits and pieces of her are. She's the underdog who's risen quickly. She's a shy girl who found her voice and refuses to back down when it comes to justice. She's broken past being what everyone assumed her to be. And then there's you."

"Me?" Shoto asked.

"Her involvement of you shows the public she isn't just this sweet little girl. She has romantic interests. It's made her... perhaps desirable in certain groups. Everything about her is what would appeal to twisted individuals who are perhaps more than fans. It's like I said - UA hasn't had a case like this, but we knew there would eventually be one, some day." Inside, Shoto felt a pulsing discomfort churn. He winced, disliking the feel of it as he considered a guilty thought.

"Should we have been more careful? Did my free display of my... affection for her in public put her in danger?" Aizawa leaned forward, his eyes firm.

"Let me be clear, Todoroki; nothing you nor she did is at fault for this. Yes, I gave a lecture some time ago about the importance of being careful about relationships because of the status you both hold and will someday hold. Because people are terrible; villains are terrible and there are those out there who will take the smallest thing to ruin your life. I lectured you for your safety, but it is _not_ something that you should have any blame for. You should absolutely be able to do what you want and show affection for someone you care about in public without it having any affect on you. I wanted you to be cautious, but not to hide who you are or hide your feelings from anyone. No, this isn't your fault. This isn't her fault. The only person who is at fault is the sicko who took these photos. None of them are technically inappropriate, but these photos do suggest some weird obsession and intrusion of Hoshino's personal life and that is a very serious crime itself."

"Shota," All Might addressed as he turned to look back over to Aizawa. "I really hate to ask this but it can't go unsaid. If this is someone posing as a member of the press, in a way that Hoshino would simply just ignore it if she spotted him - how likely is it this is another teenager doing something ridiculous and stupid?" Shoto's gut clenched, as the horrible implications of the question burst in his soul. Wordlessly, he frantically turned to All Might, and then back to Aizawa. He clenched his fists tightly in front of him, clearly harboring rage.

"Not likely, unfortunately. Especially not if they're this good." Aizawa tapped the center picture, the one in the Hoshino yard. "Officer Hoshino is trained to notice these things; and yet he didn't. Whoever this person is, they're well trained or have some quirk that allows them to not be seen. If they're this well trained, it's highly likely they're an adult. And if they're following Hoshino like this, who is a minor... that's just another layer of serious, vile criminal activity."

Inside, Shoto could feel himself splitting. A freezing fear caught him, gripping him in shakes and tousling his mind into hysterics. His gut flipped as it was trampled by his horrified paranoia. A strong urgency to keep himself close to Kairi, holding tight to her at all times became the strongest priority immediately. Then there was the burning fire of his anger, more wild and intense than he possibly had ever felt for anything. If anyone came close to her without her permission or desire for them to, and they carried dishonorable intentions... he wasn't really sure he could ever consider himself a hero with all he wanted to do to them. Not a person would even dare to get close to her, and he was ready to make sure of it.

"Have you spoken to her father about this?" All Might asked. Shoto shook his head.

"No. She refuses to let them. She says he will get overprotective, make her come home so he can watch her at all times. He would never go to work with the intent of keeping a watch on her at all times. He would then push a case to get to find out who is following her, and he would try very hard to get involved even though he wouldn't be allowed because it's a conflict of interest. He might even violate certain rights in order to use his quirk to find out who did it," Shoto repeated, knowing the argument she had given several times after she had been asked by him and their friends, also several times.

"She may be very right about that," Aizawa agreed. "It is too much of a conflict of interest and it would be preferable she didn't know."

"She's enduring so much stress at the moment," Shoto told them, pain cracking his voice. "In addition to all the extra work she took on, in less than a week her mother and siblings are arriving-"

"Siblings?" All Might interrupted. "I knew she had a mother she was estranged from but I wasn't aware she had siblings." Shoto winced, considering with guilt the possibility she may have wanted that to remain quiet.

"Neither did she. Her mother kept a lot from her because she's... not great." A certain word hung on his tongue, but the presence of his teachers kept him from saying it. "Siblings included. She only wants Kairi's fame, not her love or connection. She's using her newfound celebrity status to get herself and her other children attention. It's all a selfish game for her. And Kairi can't say no because she wants to meet her siblings. And it's not like I can blame her either."

"How old are her siblings?"

"Four, and I think the other is almost two," Shoto said, with more regret.

"We'll look into it," All Might promised. "We'll get a hold of the media that's published these photos, attempt to track down whoever submitted them and confront them. This will be dealt with, Todoroki, we promise. We are going to take this to the other Pro Heroes, and address it with the police. This is inappropriate and disgusting, and you can put your full faith in us that we are going to dig until we get to the bottom." His chest relaxed at the assurance, relieved by how seriously they were taking the issue. He nodded and found he felt disoriented and strange.

"In the mean time, we have safeguards at the school and she should be safe here. But if at any moment she does, make sure she calls Nezu or any of the teachers immediately. That includes even in the middle of class. In addition, if she leaves the school for any reason, she cannot go alone. Either you or one of your friends needs to be with her at all times. For her own personal comfort, if there are any extra safety measures she feels needs to be taken, she should take them if she is able. And if there is anything she needs the school to provide or do that we already aren't, then we strongly implore that she ask us to do so." All Might began to gathered the printed photos. "If there are any other details Hoshino can remember that could help us, then let us know as soon as she does. If there isn't anything else, then I think we have everything we need to know."

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa. Thank you, All Might," Shoto said to them both, addressing them both with quick dips of his head. Once freed from their attention, Shoto darted from the classroom, forcing himself to move faster than what he could possibly healthily manage. The dorm was only five minutes away, but even that was too long of a walk to check on Kairi when he was more worried than he had ever been for her.

"What about that cute one you wore you wore to the beach concert in the summer?" Momo said, pointing to the cream colored dress spattered with a purple floral design in the corner of her closet. Kairi made a face, turning to the dress.

"That's a summer dress. I'm going to freeze my butt off." Momo had been trying desperately hard to help her plan activities and her days for when her siblings appeared to try and get mind off things. It seemed to help a bit - Kairi had finally pulled herself off the bed and wasn't struggled to get words out through her shaking breathes. She still paced the room, wrung her hands, and shook - but her speech had become normal and her attention seemed distracted, at the least.

"You could wear that grey cardigan with the bee shirt and your green jeans?" Momo suggested.

"That's... gross. It's so casual. Doesn't leave much of an impression."

"Don't you want them to see you for who you really are and not this image of what the public has made you?"

"I mean... I do, but I also want to be something they are proud to look up to?"

"I don't know, who you are must be pretty special because I've never seen anyone as fond of anyone else the way Todoroki is with you." A giggle broke through as her lips expanded into her warm, red cheeks. Momo shared the expression.

"It isn't just my clothes though, like... I'm so boring. I'm so plain. What if they're all underwhelmed? I mean, I'm sure my mother isn't the greatest fan of me, but she probably talked up all my heroics and highlighted me into this great figure so they'll think I'm on the level of All Might! Or... something... How will they react when I'm this drab, boring fangirl who would rather just hide in her room and read books or watch shows on my laptop all the time. What kind of amazing, astounding hero does that?"

"You're not _trying_ to show them the hero," Momo said as she slipped off her bed. She pressed comforting hands against her shoulders while looking fondly upon her friendly. "You're showing them Kairi, their older sister who is proud to have siblings. That's what the press _doesn't_ see. Doesn't that automatically made it even more amazing and special? A private side of Kairi no one gets to see but family and friends."

"And my stalker, apparently," she snapped. Momo winced, and then the banging on the door interrupted her remark. Kairi jolted at the noise.

"It's me!" came Shoto's voice from beyond the door. Kairi ripped from Momo's grasp and kicked open the door. She flew against him at the moment he caught her tightly in his embrace. He whispered softly against her hair, his nose brushing against her forehead. "I talked to Aizawa and All Might. It's perfectly fine; they will take care of this, I promise you." Her chest relaxed some as she buried her face against him, but much of the stress remained.

"This is the worst time for all of this," she breathed, groaning.

"Yes, because everyone knows the best time to have a stalker is when the cherry blossoms bloom," Shoto replied, attempting a joke. The unamused look from Kairi told him it wasn't a very good one.

"Maybe you could help us in finding something for Kairi to wear when she meets her family," Momo said. The look Shoto saw in her told him this was her way of providing a distraction. He nodded, and pulled himself away from Kairi.

"Sure. In a moment, there's something... I want to discuss with you first, Yaomomo," He said, tilting his head towards the door. Confusion and curiosity lessened the feel of fear in Kairi for a moment. Shoto gripped her hand tightly, his comforting grin kneading its way into her heart. "We'll be right back. I promise. I won't abandon you." She nodded her understanding, and watched the two of them step just outside the dorm, Shoto shutting the door. She blinked, waiting for them to return, and focused on settling her emotions.

"Is everything okay?" Momo asked, once they were in the hallway. Concern knitted into her expression. "You're making me worried."

"It's fine, this actually has nothing to do with the stalker," Shoto said quickly. He guided his hand across his hair, brushing a few red and white strands back. Despite his words, urgency filled his voice. "Look. We clearly know Kairi has been under so much stress. Some of it self inflected but a lot of it isn't."

"Yes?" Momo asked.

"I know she enjoyed _Dungeons and Dragons_ and that was a good break, but everything else happening hasn't really given her much of one. She needs a good one. A big one. I've been thinking about this a little in my own time, but it really just occurred to me on the way back. Meeting her siblings is probably exciting but nerve wracking, and I can't imagine seeing her mother again is going to be the long hoped for birthday celebration she wanted. And, judging by the things she's said... She may have never had a birthday party."

"Her mother's going to be here during her birthday," Momo reminded.

"She's leaving the day after. I was thinking we could do it later that weekend. March fourteenth, if possible."

"That's White Day."

"Exactly my point, it will be the perfect cover to get her all dressed up without her suspecting it's her birthday party. We can make her just think you're helping her get ready for a date I have planned or something."

"You want to throw her a surprise party?" Momo asked skeptically. "Is she going to be okay being the center of attention in a group of people she isn't aware is happening?"

"When it's people she knows and cares about, she doesn't mind it. And it's not like the people she's surrounded by won't know to back away or give her room if she's feeling anxious. But I have ideas. I need help of course - you, Aoyama, Tsu, Midoriya, others. But in order to execute my plans, I'll need access to your house."

"My house?"

"You have a ballroom, right? Are we free to use it?" Momo grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

"Sure." She pressed her hand against the door. "Let's talk about it later, and get a group chat going with the others. You're right, Todoroki. She really does need this." Shoto smiled and followed Momo back inside when she pushed on the door.


	78. Every Step of the Way

**Soooo has Animal Crossing taken over anyone else's life? If so, feel free to shoot me a Direct Message with your friend code if you want to be my friend!**

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_This is a very narrow window to work with. Are you certain we'll be able to get everything ready in enough time_? - Yuga

_I know, I'm sorry I didn't give you much prep time. Things have become a little chaotic_. - Shoto

_It's fine! We have enough people, we can all get it together in time! _\- Iida

_We have nearly three weeks, we're sure to get it done by then! _-Tsu

_The most difficult part is going to be the two day window Yaoyorozu has to take Kairi shopping for her dress. Such a tragically short time to find a dress worthy of our darling princess_! - Yuga

_I'm sure we can get it done. I know it's stressful, but just keep in mind this is for Kairi, who is constantly enduring stress. We can take a couple weeks of planning a birthday party. _-Shoto

_Are you at the airport? - _Tsu. Shoto looked up from his phone, seeing their taxi driver spin towards the drop off entrance.

_Getting dropped off now._ \- Shoto

_Good luck_! - Momo. Shoto tucked his phone away and looked over at his girl, one hand clenched tightly in her lap while the other swiped across the front of her own phone. He reached towards her, taking her clenched hand. It was moist, and shook violently.

"They're worried about me, aren't they?" Kairi guessed, as she used her lone thumb to tap out a message to her father. She winced at the typo, deleting it to start over the word for the fifth time. Her nerves were causing her to fumble, and create many errors in her typing.

"Yeah," Shoto answered softly, with truth. "But I'm sure it will be fine. Your siblings will meet you and instantly love you."

"I don't know about that... I know who their mother is. And she didn't instantly love me," Kairi said solemnly. Shoto squeezed her hand as she continued to pad out a message.

"What's your dad saying?"

"I think he's more nervous than he originally let on. He keeps consistently assuring me, which tells me he's trying to reassure himself," she said. "He asked if I wanted him to come with but I told him I would like him to keep his badge. Dad is pretty laid back but there are some grudges even he can't let go of."

"I can't say I really blame him." The cab finally fully stopped. Kairi made to retrieve money from her purse, but Shoto was already throwing his own towards their driver.

"Shoto!" Kairi gasped.

"It's fine," was all he said. Their driver said his goodbye and Shoto stepped out of his side of the car first. Before Kairi could push against the door, he had run to her side and let her out. She shook her head as she stepped out, showing her disapproval but the tiniest of grins gave away her appreciation.

The vehicle sped away as Kairi pulled her coat tighter around herself, standing in front of the doors to the airport, gift bags clutched tightly in her fists. She pulled her phone back up, sliding through downloaded images on her phone.

"They should have landed ten minutes ago," she breathed. Her voice trembled in her throat. Shoto nodded, and placed a gently urging hand against her back.

"Are you ready?" His question was tender, patient. His low voice rolled comfort over her emotions, softening the wild gales that were occurring in her soul. The petrified look in her amber gaze reminded him she was never going to be ready for an event such like this. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if keeping her body together. "Normally, I would tell you you don't have to do anything you don't want to..."

"But you know I'll regret it," Kairi completed, and Shoto nodded. She breathed heavily again, shifting in place.

"I'm beside you the whole time." There it was again, that tender patience he reserved, just for her it seemed. Her body chilled with the pleased shock of his voice, reminded of how he was always walking beside her steps. No matter how slow, or how fast, or how many wild turns she took to get to her destination, he had remained beside every single one of them. He always followed her pace, and never faltered from that. She curled her fingers tightly in his hand. The heat of his palm radiated a soothing current up her arm. The gentle compassion his eyes held as he watched made a secure air drop on her shoulders, surrounding her with a blanket that warded off negative emotions that tried so hard to plague her. Her stomach riled with reckless abandon and her heart flew without any anchor - but his presence stilled it. This event would be impossible without him - no, not impossible, but much harder. Every obstacle she had overcome in school, in her relationships, in her emotions... they had been a product of something she had done, had always been able to do. She held that strength, as her counselor had so often repeated. It was always in her and she could always do all those things. Friends, loved ones, they simply helped to build that confidence. Shoto had helped to pull out a part of her that was hidden. Confidence and strength, they were a part of her. But sometimes, working with others helped to give an extra set of eyes to point out things that she had simply overlooked. Hidden in plain sight, she had been told. It wasn't that she couldn't do any of it without Shoto; he had just helped to show her the tools to do it. He was helping her in life, conquer her fears, helping her strength and control her quirk; and now he was about to help her conquer the beast she had been dreading for so many years.

It was hard to not feel comforted and confident when he watched her, her heart glowing as he kept in time with her own steps. She looked ahead, anxious for her family to step out and appear; then she would look to help and the anxiety would disappear. If she was rejected, if there was a scene; she knew he would help her get through it. He would guide her to her strength to get through whatever happened that day. The pulsing in her chest; it couldn't be her nerves. No, that rhythm wasn't the way her body reacted when she was shy or scared. She was familiar with the way her heart responded to crowds, such as the one they weaved through now. Her skin tensed at the congestion of people, but that wasn't what caused her chest to rush. Fear and worry manned the wheel when she was presented with a new and stressful issue. Neither of those were in command this time. They were crew members, to be sure but they weren't the captains of her vessel. Oddly, a sort of new emotion was. New, and yet also familiar. One that had stowed away awhile ago, but it was unclear when it had boarded. One fueled by elation, a joyous and wild apprehension. One that couldn't wait for what was next.

Bakugo's words floated to the front of her mind, their loud echoes ringing in her ear. Her eyes looked down to Shoto, still holding onto her with the firm reminder in his grasp he would not leave her side. Briefly, she remembered there was a stalker and she needed to keep an eye out for it, but those fears quickly dissipated. Shoto was here. Not only was she certain he would make sure she would be protected, but he was empowering her confidence. If anything did go pear shaped, she could get through it. He would help her, and he would guide her. She had been told that Shoto helped her see things about her that were hidden in plain sight. Had Bakugo done the same thing? Was he right? Was it always there, and everyone else could see it, but she didn't? Could Shoto did see it? Was it possible that she was, in fact, in lo-

"Oh my god! It's her! Do you see her?! She's really here!" The squeal interrupted her thoughts, tearing her away from the track she was following. For a moment, her body jumped as she whirled around for the familiar face of her mother, in the flesh. But that voice hadn't belong to her mother. Nor had it belonged to a young child, but instead another girl, a little younger than her. A middle school aged girl zipped in her direction, wheeling her back behind her, her blonde hair whipping her in the face. Hands extended a school notebook towards her, a fresh page open with the girl holding out a pen. "You're the Emotive Iris right? And _oh my god_, it's _Shoto_!"

"Um... yeah..." Kairi trembled. Shoto stepped in front of her, but Kairi raised a hand in front of him, "It's... okay." At the same moment she permitted the girl to come forward, A man in his thirties appeared, holding out a notebook to them both. His words, expressed his kids adoration for them blurred with the girl's excitement. From the other side, a camera snapped. The bright light swirled Kairi's vision. Her chest wound a tightening coil, breath restricted by the collapsing of her ribs. The lights of the airport swung overhead, faces in front of her swirling into an indecipherable vortex. Her body swam, disconnected from reality as she trembled to reach for a pen. Two more flashes, for more screams and cries for autographs from them both.

Shoto watched her face blanch, her eyes search for a point of focus as her motor skills betrayed her and she tried to pluck a pen from the crowd. The growing crowd was attracting more noise and attention. Kairi's swaying and trembling grew worse; he listening as wheezing breaths choked her. Without a thought, with no moment to figure out what the best thing was and how to properly behave. his own heart shot out of his arm. His left arm scooped Kairi towards him, while his right drew a stream of ice between them and the crowd. The fanatics yelled and jumped back, as a wall of ice jutted up the ground. "Stay back and leave her alone!" he shouted. Those passing paused to look on and mutter quietly. The young girl looked at them both sadly, still clutching her notebook. Shoto grimaced, giving her and her alone an apologetic look. Kairi whimpered, clinging to Shoto's chest.

"Let's go," she rasped. He nodded, and the two of them moved quickly, ignoring the ice mound Shoto just produced in the airport.

"We can still call them," Shoto said. "If it makes you nervous that you're in danger here."

"No..." Kairi breathed, slowing her quickened pace as the took a corner that disappeared them from the onlookers. "I'm just meeting my family in the airport." She ducked out of the way as a stream of international travelers took up the hallway they made their way down. Someone laughed excitedly, as they ran to greet a loved one. "That's a perfectly normal thing... I don't need a Pro Hero to-"

"Kairi?!" That one sounded familiar. The voice drew her attention as she pricked up towards the flow of passengers. Kairi paused, swiveling her head around to find the location of the voice.

"Kairi?" Shoto asked. She snatched his wrist.

"Shush," she said. "My mom."

"Your... mom?" he asked. Kairi nodded, and then watched a woman part through the dwindling flow of traffic. Shoto followed her gaze, and instantly knew which one her mother was. Even if he hadn't seen her pictures, he would have known which one she was. The same jaw and chin as Kairi's, her same nose. While her mother was much older and showed her age, the resemblance between then was uncanny. As she drew closer, he saw she had the same captivating amber eyes that she did. While Kairi's hair had become quite long over the last several months, her mother's hair had been cut short to her neck. Pictures had shown her mothers hair to be several shades lighter than Kairi's, but a few strands of grey had lightened it even more.

Sorrowful disgust joined hands with adoring excitement as Kairi watched her mother hobble in their direction. Mild guilt prickled her; that was right, she had a limp. Of course, she had a limp, it was one she had when she was very young. How could she have forgotten she had a limp?

She was struggling, balancing a toddler on her hip as she rolled a suitcase behind her. She kept looking down to her side and in moments it had become apparent a little girl walked beside her, pulling her own small suitcase. Shoto ran from Kairi's side and took the suitcase from Tabitha first. Then he turned to the small girl, crouching before her and offering to take it from her. The girl looked over to Tabitha, seeking permission before she nodded. Shoto took her unicorn suitcase. Kairi watched, stunned as she gripped the gift bags.

"Mom," was the word she finally uttered, staring at this woman whom she swore was much taller the last time she saw her.

"Kairi... oh my goodness you are... so tall," she addressed. Tears clung to her lashes, threatening to spill over as her smile trembled with emotion.

"I'm actually... really short." Her mind cringed at her own words, embarrassed by her clumsy sentence. What a thing to say to her mother, after not seeing her in person for years. Of course she would be tall, when she was just a child the last time she saw her.

"Ah, yes... I... I suppose. Your dad is rather short." She chuckled, awkwardly, shifting the toddler on her hip.

"Um... so, how was the... flight?"

"Really Kairi?" Her mother chuckled. Her guts wound tightly.

"What?" she asked slowly.

"I haven't seen you in years, give your mother a hug!"

"Oh... um..." She looked to the child on her mother's hip. Tabitha looked at her son and grinned.

"Right..." She looked Shoto's direction. "Could he...?"

"Of course," Shoto responded quickly. He set the suitcases against the wall and reached out. Tabitha smiled warmly as she dropped the boy - Oscar, his name was - into his grasp. Shoto lurched slightly, the weight of such a small child surprising him. He awkwardly pulled Oscar to his side, mimicking the way Tabitha seemed to be flawlessly holding him. The girl hung close to Shoto, watching him suspiciously as he held her little brother. He waved awkwardly to her.

As soon as she was free, Kairi's mother didn't waste time in tucking her arms around her, pressing quick kisses across her forehead and nose. She grew stiff at her mother's affection, forcing herself to return the embrace. But her withered soul drank up the attention, her emotions crying out with long forgotten hope. Misery and jubilance became strange bedfellows inside her feelings.

"Oh Kairi... you are so so lovely..." she cooed when she finally broke away from her. A perfectly manicured hand brushed away a few stray hairs that fell in her face. Her heart bloomed, the compliment watering her neglected spirit. Her attention drew back to Shoto again. "And this is? That Todoroki boy?"

"Yes, um, this is Shoto..." Kairi said, relieved to address him.

"Mummy what are you saying?" the little girl named Vivian said in English, still eyeing Shoto with suspicion.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Tabitha laughed, apologizing in English. "I taught Vivien a few basic words in Japanese, but I'm afraid they both know only English. Vivien, this girl is your sister, the one I was telling you about? Her name is Kairi. She's going to be a great hero some day!"

"She already is," Shoto interjected, speaking in completely flawless English. Kairi's eyes popped, shocked by how perfect his accent seemed to her ears. Shyly, she looked away from Shoto and bent towards her sister. Kairi gave her a smile she had been practicing, hoping it seemed warm and inviting. She extended her hand.

"Hi. Your name is Vivian, correct?"

"Um, yeah..." the girl said. "Your name is Carrie?"

"Close, but no. It's Kai-ri."

"This is Oscar!" Vivien said, gesturing to the toddler Shoto still held on his hip. His eyes ere half closed as he popped his thumb into his throat. "He's a baby. Well, he's not really a baby anymore mom says. But he still acts like a baby. See how he's sucking his thumb? But he can walk. But he's really sleepy right now. He didn't like the plane, he cried a _lot. _But then when we were in the air, he slept."

"Planes are scary," Kairi laughed. Vivian's eyes jumped to the gift bags Kairi held in her grasp.

"What are those?" she asked just as her eyes bugged. "Are those presents?"

"Oh! Um, yes! For you and Oscar! Um..." Quickly, Kairi spun around, looking to her mother and then over to Shoto. In the time they had been talking, the hallway cleared out and they were standing near an empty arrival gate. Frantic indecision pulled at Kairi, as she desperately searched her mind for the next step of the semi-awkward reunion.

"Why don't we find somewhere to eat?" Shoto suggested, seeing Kairi begin to panic. She gave him a look of relief, silently thanking him for saving her anxiety. "I'm sure it's been a long flight." As if to add more evidence to his remark, Vivian yawned.

"Yes, some food would be nice. And then we can check into the hotel and get some sleep. They got to sleep just fine on the flight, but I fear I have been awake almost twenty four hours." Kairi looked over at Shoto expectantly, eyeing Oscar hopefully. He chuckled.

"Did you want to hold him?"

"If he lets me..." she replied sadly. He smiled and carefully pulled the sleepy toddler from his side. A flood of exuberant currents and warmth combusted from within Kairi the moment Oscar fell into her arms. There was a semblance of herself as she looked into his dark brown eyes. Her soul fused with his own, the instance she saw his face. Without knowing a single thing about Oscar, a part of her longed to be around him. She instantly felt desperate for his intention. Inside, she glowed with pride, itching to know every piece of his personality and interests. She clutched onto him as if he were priceless cargo, a silly smile finding her expression. The crowds, the noise, the havoc as they left the airport. None of that mattered. They became a part of the backdrop on her life, as she walked between her sister, who hopped giddily as she took her unicorn suitcase back from Shoto. Shoto stood close to Kairi, wheeling her mother's suitcase behind them. Her mother clutched Vivian's hand as they exited the airport. Shoto reached for his phone to call a cab, but Tabitha quickly reminded him of the absence of car seats for the kids. Happily, Kairi led the way towards the bus lane, where another bus was due to pick up in a few minutes.

"Leaving the airport, it's going to be really busy," Shoto said, still clutching the suitcase. He nodded over to her mother. "Between the bus and... meeting your family. That isn't going to be... too much for you, is it?"

Still dazed by her new bundle of emotions, Kairi shook her head.

"No..." she whispered. Oscar's tired head flopped onto her shoulder, finally back to sleep. Kairi's smile reflected her glee, as she softly rested her own head against his. "You're here. My sister's here... my brother's here." A loving hand stroked the little boy's arm. "It doesn't matter how things go with my mother anymore. She might be a total disaster, but... I have her. I have him. Meeting my siblings... getting to hold him. Now that I see them, it completely overrules anything she may try to do to screw up this trip. I am perfectly okay. And I have you to thank for it." Shoto gazed longingly at her, beholding her nurturing eyes as she gently rocked her brother.

"I just made sure you got here safely," he said.

"But that alone means the world to me," she whispered, so soft he wasn't quite sure he heard her speak. His heart jolted, striking him with the thought there was nothing in this world he wouldn't do for her. He would walk alongside her, at whatever pace she needed, for as long as she needed. On instinct, he knew there wasn't a thing she could ask of him that he wouldn't struggle to provide. It hit him, once more, how much she meant to him. Everything about her that mattered to him was just that; everything. There was no length he wouldn't go, no mission he wouldn't take himself on for her happiness. There wasn't a nemesis he wouldn't battle for her sake. It struck him, just how much he cared for her and how he wanted to walk beside her for as long as she would let him. He wanted to face villains by her side, for as long as she wanted to. Happily, he wanted to rush into dangers with her, shield her from all that frightened her, encourage her to work through her obstacles and guide her away from her struggles when she couldn't do it alone. It hurt, the sudden realization; but the pang of it invigorated him with joy.


	79. Questionable Intentions

The chopsticks fell out of Vivian's hand again, after she clumsily tried to pick at the chicken on her plate with them. The little girl frowned, looking sadly at her fried food. Kairi giggled, offering her the fork she had previously requested for them. "You have time, keep at it. By the time you leave Japan, you'll be an expert! And then you can show all your friends how to hold chopsticks!" Vivien gave her a toothy smile, and prodded her chicken with her fork.

Shoto managed a small flame on his fingers, holding Oscar's attention as he gaped at his little trick. He reached for the flame, but Shoto quickly extinguished it before he could burn himself. Instead, Shoto switched hands, producing small icicles on his fingers. When Oscar reached for them again, this time he let him briefly touch the icicles. He shrieked at the cold feel before pulling away, laughing with delight.

The cafe they had chosen was small, unimpressive, and frequently quiet so there was little danger of a crowd recognizing them. It was also chosen specifically for it's fusion of Japanese and Western foods, considering the children weren't as likely to try foods they weren't familiar with.

"I missed the matcha tea," Tabitha said longingly, after a long drink. She cradled her tea cup between her hands. "We have matcha in England, of course, but it isn't the same. The taste here is richer, almost deeper. You can really taste all the subtleties in it."

"There was nothing really stopping you from coming," Kairi mumbled, as she smiled at Vivian. She appeared content, stabbing at the pieces of fried chicken Kairi worked to cut up.

"Well, Japan is an expensive trip." Kairi turned to hide her eyeroll. _Somehow, I don't think money was the issue. "_Your name was Shoto Todoroki, was it?" Tabitha turned her attention to the boy sitting across from her at the table. Shoto looked up, pulling his hand away from the seat on the end, where Oscar sat in a booster seat. His eyes flicked to Kairi beside him, as if he were looking for some kind of permission. She pursed her lips, before she looked back at her sister, seated beside her mother, across from them.

"Yes, m'am," he replied carefully.

"Your father is the hero Endeavor, isn't he? You must be one of the best in your class with a legacy like that. I'm sure you've learned a great many things from him."

"That's a way of putting it," Shoto answered stiffly. Kairi's chest crumpled, as she shot a look towards her mother. All her attention focused on Shoto, not once seeming to notice Kairi glaring at her. A fire rolled inside her, once again feeling ignored by her mother.

"I suppose your father has high expectations for the kind of life you are to lead; the kind of hero you become, how to show yourself to the media, the people you surround yourself with."

"He likes to think he controls certain aspects of my life, but he doesn't," Shoto said, turning his attention back to Oscar who was less focused on his macaroni and cheese plate and more focused on Shoto's "magic hands", as he kept babbling.

"So you mean to say you don't care what your father thinks, and you're going to live your life the way you want?" Tabitha pushed, prodding a piece of her fish before taking a bite.

"Yes. I choose how I live my life." His response was rather curt, as he formed more icicles in his hand again. Oscar giggled and clapped happily.

"I would also assume he has certain expectations for the person you were to eventually marry. Am I correct that you would also refuse those expectations?" The tension forming in Kairi's gut snapped, launching her up from her seat and practically across the table.

"Oh my god, Mom, stop! Seriously, stop, that is incredibly intrusive!" Her words fumbled out frantically, finally catching her mother's attention as she narrowed her gaze to her.

"I was just having a conversation with your friend here. I am curious to his upbringing, being a son of the great Todoroki line. That is simply all." Her mother looked mildly annoyed by the interruption, her nostrils expanding as she fumed.

"No, no you weren't, we both know you weren't. This conversation is dripping with hidden intent. Also, you are currently showing more attention to him than to me. What exactly does that say?"

"I apologize, Kairi, but its not like you've ever introduced me to your friends before!" Tabitha pushed around a bed of fried greens, her seething eyes fused to Kairi's glare.

"Blame me for being a teenager then, whatever!" Kairi scoffed. "Just... stop this, okay? Neither of us want to discuss his father. Endeavor's more a criminal than a hero anyway, despite what the public things."

"We all have skeletons in our closet, that doesn't change the good he does for the community, Kairi. What have I said about your tendency to be so quick to judge?" Tabitha's voice was calm, in that patient motherly way that was also a deep scolding cut into a child's soul. Shame pushed Kairi down, her spirit begging to slink away under the table. But stubbornness and her strengthened will fought against the feeling, and she kept her head high. Her mother's words served as the catalyst to boil her anger.

"But some people have more skeletons than others," she snapped, drawing a presenting hand across the children in front of her. "For example, yours just happen to be the siblings I _never_ knew I had. Don't you think that's something you should have told your _other child_? Or were you going to wait til I graduated college to mention that oh, by the way you were pregnant again... several _years_ ago!"

"Kairi, I am sorry you were unaware of their existence, but did you really expect my life to not continue once I got back home?" A strange blend of well practiced sincerity and lecturing mingled in her tone. She pressed a hand to her heart, for added compassion. "It's hard to contact you sometimes, what with our busy schedules and the time difference."

"A simple 'oh by the way, you have siblings and also I have a husband' in a text or something was too hard for you?" Shoto kept quiet, as Oscar continued to try and push a crayon into his hand and help him color on the napkin in front of him. He gave in, finally drawing some weird faces on the napkin.

"People forget things sometimes, Kairi," Tabitha sighed.

"Yeah, yeah you're right..." Kairi gave in, spitting out her words. She leaned back against her chair. "You do tend to forget your children exist." Her mother clenched her fists, dropping them into her lap. She winced, wrinkling her lip with disgust.

"Please, Kairi, I can feel your anger. Please control it."

"Why should she need to control it?" Shoto finally snapped, though he didn't look up from the drawings he created with his new little friend. "She has perfectly valid reasons to be angry, Ms. Hoshino-"

"_Ms. Tradesbury,_" Tabitha hissed. Kairi groaned.

"Another one of your secrets you kept from me, I see."

"Well, why would I have kept that name? It was just another reminder."

"Of your life in Japan, or the daughter you abandoned?"

"You know I had to do what was best for my mental health!" Shoto finally slammed down the crayon, creating enough of a din to cause the rest of the table to jump. The crayon cracked, rolling away in two pieces before Shoto held his hands close to his lap.

"Ms. Tradesbury. I have no intention or desire to show you any disrespect. However, I refuse to allow you to show any disrespect to your daughter, especially since you have continued to do so since she was a mere toddler. It's true that it can be hard to control your emotions when her quirk is aggravated; but it really isn't impossible. In addition, haven't you noticed how much calmer she seems and how little you have been affected until now, when her emotions are raging? Does that not speak to you about the work she has done?"

"I didn't mean any offense-"

"Please, Ms. Tradesbury, allow me to finish," Shoto interrupted, with a calm stoicism. "Since we met you at the airport almost two hours ago, I have yet to hear you ask Kairi a single question about how things are going for her at school, how her life is, what it's like at UA, or any normal question a parent or anyone who hasn't seen someone for a while would ask. Instead, your attention is on me, someone who is not your child, and it is focused on my name and status. I can only deduce this is for the intention of determining the benefit of my relationship to your daughter, henceforth, the relationship to you, and how it can elevate you and make _you_ look. There are times when Kairi's quirk has been a small struggle to manage its effects, and I can only imagine what that was like for a young child with uncontrollable emotions. However, since the day Kairi stepped into the classroom she has been an important facet in my life and I have never once had so much trouble handling her quirk that I couldn't treat her with human decency or work past it in order to be near her."

"You're a Todoroki, I'm sure you've had special training to-"

"No, m'am. My name is simply a name. It doesn't give me any special ability to do better than others. I have succeeded as far as I have in _spite_ of the abuse my father put me through _because_ I was a Todoroki with a powerful quirk. As her mother, I would expect your love would extend farther beyond others when it came trying to work with your child, to make a true relationship work. But if I, a random classmate, can develop a friendship with her and work with her, alongside her to the point I barely even notice her quirk's effects, what does that say about you? What that tells me is that you simply chose to not help your child and chose a selfish path, now becoming a part of her life because of how it makes you look, now that you have a celebrity hero for a daughter. You're in it for yourself, which is of course something Kairi has been telling me for a while. But now I see it with my own eyes, and it's one hundred percent true."

"That... that isn't true! Kairi wouldn't say that stuff about me! I mean, every child and parent have their issues right, but... but it isn't like that! I didn't abuse you, I never touched you!" Tabitha spun her expression around, swiveling frantically to face Kairi. She was frozen, watching Shoto wordlessly. Her heart exploded, sparks fluttering inside. Locked in her awe, a rave of triumph echoed in her still frame. Eloquently worded, Shoto recited everything she had hoped to say to her mother for years, but guilt and shame held her back. Pride bloomed within, and her arms quaked with a need to encapsulate him with thankful cries. But she remained, silent as ever, staring.

"Abuse is far more than physical, and I think you are aware of that," Shoto said. "And you knew all of this. You knew Kairi would have no desire to see you. Which is why you brought your children with, and finally revealed she had siblings. Because you knew she would never be able to tell you no. Because you knew she couldn't deny the chance to see her siblings. You not only used her for your own benefit, but you used your other children. And you want her to believe that you have changed and love her? I can't see it. It's plain as day to me you use your children as nothing but pawns."

"You don't know _anything_ about how I feel for my kids!" Tabitha growled, tears hanging on the edge of her eyes.

"Perhaps not. But I know a thing or two about parents manipulating their kids." With his point established, Shoto reached for his drink. Every other member at the table remained quiet; Tabitha with a traumatized expression, Kairi in her awe, and the other two children focused solely on their food.

"That's... ridiculous," Ms. Tradesbury finally dismissed. "Kids always think they have their parents figured out and know what they're talking about. Well, none of that is true. I may have made some mistakes in the past, but I never used my children for my own selfish gains!"

"If that's true, you have a chance to prove it now," Kairi sighed, her awe finally shaking loose. "Prove you're not the mother you were when I was a kid. Prove that you're not here just for media attention and that you genuinely want to spend time with me." As desperate as her words were, her voice didn't reflect it. Kairi felt drained, forcing the words out, hearing the weakness behind every one. She saw her mother shamefully drop her head, pawing at the teacup in front of her. Conviction was written on her face, even if she refused to admit it.

"Mum! I'm done!" Vivian said, breaking the thick silence that had formed between them. She held up her crumb filled plate for evidence. "Can I have dessert now? I saw a really yummy strawberry one on the menu! Can I have my own this time?"

Kairi began to rummage around in her purse, searching for her wallet.

"If you're okay with it," Kairi said, laying down just enough yen to cover dessert for everyone. "I can get us all dessert."

"Yeah, that's... that's fine," Ms. Tradesbury whispered, clearly still broken from the earlier words said. Shoto cleared his throat and pulled up the gifts bags that sat between him and Kairi.

"Your sister brought you both gifts," he said, interrupting the quiet and drawing the excitement of them. Kairi got the attention of their server as she took down everyone's requests for desserts, just before the chaos of tearing the bags open occurred. Oscar gaped at the bag of blocks in his hand, and Vivien was ready to tear into the plastic food set at the table. Kairi quickly caught the package before the contents flew all over the place.

"Let's... wait on that, okay?" she chuckled.

"After dessert, we'll help you find your hotel room so you can rest. Then tomorrow, maybe you can begin proving yourself," Shoto said.

"Will you be with us?" Vivian asked. She sounded hopeful, almost pleading. Which had been odd, considering how little attention she had given Shoto. He smiled, shaking his head.

"No. I have plans tomorrow. You'll be with Kairi's other good friend. Her name is Momo, and you'll like her a lot."

"Why can't Kairi come alone?" Tabitha asked weakly. Kairi clenched, feeling the pinch in her heart.

"Because... there's a situation going on where I shouldn't be somewhere without another hero by my side, if I leave the dorm. UA is very high security, with many students needing high security," Kairi explained vaguely. "You're perfectly safe though, I promise you." As she spoke, she lowered her voice, following the rhythm of a mantra. She breathed out a long breath, noting how she had spoken more to herself than her family. The sickening dread of paranoia spun her around as she looked for a suspicious character, either outside the window or in the restaurant.

Sensing the spike in her anxiety, Shoto's fingers drifted to her hand pressed against her leg. The action drew her eyes back to his. He forced any ounce of comfort into his gaze, speaking reassurance with his eyes. He felt her fingers relax, before they clenched onto his own. A smile glimmered in the corner of her lip before it faded.

Kairi's chest widened with contentedness. In the most wild of circumstances, in a torrent of chaos, he still remained beside her. Villains, stalkers, stress, her own mother... he committed to help guide her through it all. A gentle touch, a single word, and he could easily help her level. What exactly did that mean? What did it mean for her, that she could so easily be soothed and calmed by the mere reminder of his presence? What did it mean for him, that he was so quick to do so. They were dating, of course he would jump to her defense and serve as her protector when she needed. But that he could do so easily, without a thought, with willingness and even joy... That he seemed to flawlessly find the right thing to say, do the right thing. And everything was done with a smile that not only caused her feelings to bloom even wider, but stilled the anxieties that plagued her. Consistently, he gladly weathered her storms. Consistently, he seemed to enjoy walking alongside through whipping winds and monsoons. She blinked, holding back the confused and euphoric tears that were in danger of falling. It didn't make sense, any of it. She didn't understand any of her feelings except one solid possibility, and it scared her as much as it excited her. Whatever it was it, one thing was clear and it meant the whole world to her; in every hurricane of her life, he seemed more than glad to be her iris.


	80. Family, A Drama

Oscar refused to let go of her hand the entire time. Kairi felt her bones ready to crack under the pressure he was putting against her. Vivien had been fearless as they stared out from the observation deck of the incredibly high building they had just visited. She leaned up against the glass, as close as she could get, before holding her arms out as if she were flying. However, Oscar cried the whole time. He calmed down some when they went through the aquarium and seemed completely distracted as they found themselves staring at the alignment of the night sky in the planetarium. Even so, as they wound through the shops of the colorful street, he refused to let go of her hand.

"I didn't appreciate what you said," Kairi snapped, in Japanese, as she walked nearly shoulder to shoulder with her mother. Ms. Tradesbury paused before she took another bite of her mochi ice cream ball.

"What now?" she sighed, responding also in Japanese. Kairi had been struggling to bite her tongue all morning.

"Mummy, I don't like this!" Vivien said, handing her own mochi ice cream ball back to her. "Can I have real ice cream instead?"

"Don't be disrespectful, Vi," said Ms. Tradesbury, slightly annoyed from Kairi's comment. "This is a very common kind of ice cream here and it's no different than other kind of ice creams you're familiar with."

"I just meant-"

"I know what you meant," Tabitha groaned, cringing as she took the ice cream ball from her, teeth marks etched into it.

"You know she isn't trying to be disrespectful or anything like that," Kairi said, switching to English as she rolled her eyes. "She's _four_. She doesn't mean 'real' as in it's not ice cream. You can't just whisk her off to a foreign country without telling her anything about their differences before your arrival and expect her to be completely understanding. Especially when she barely grasps the concept of locations outside the UK." Momo touched her friend's shoulder, reminding her too be careful with her words.

"I told her you speak a different language here," Tabitha said.

"Oh, good for you." As thick as her sarcasm was, no one made mention of it. Tabitha located a trash bin and quickly made to toss the ice cream away.

"Waste of money..." the mother sighed.

"I can buy her some different ice cream," Momo offered quickly, but Ms. Tradesbury waved it away.

"No, I'm her mother I can do it."

"We're dismissing the point," Kairi said, switching back to her first language to avoid the children hearing. "I was uncomfortable with how you didn't acknowledge Oscar's fears about being up that high and you said he'd get over it."

"Kairi, I'm a cop. Do you think I don't deal with scary stuff all the time and I've had to learn to deal with it?"

"Uh, no. First of all, you left the field to take a desk job because you just couldn't handle the stress of... well, things. Life. You couldn't handle stress in general. How is that not a kind of fear? Second, you _chose_ to become a cop, knowing you would encounter scary and dangerous things. You made the choice to take that risk. We took him up there. He didn't choose that. I agree that there are some things we need to challenge ourselves to get over. But he isn't even two, is very impressionable right now, and there are ways to get past them and every person has a different way that works for them. You just dismissed his fear completely, and let the rest of those attending the observation deck let him cry."

"Kairi, I never claimed to be a perfect mother. I know I make mistakes and don't do things correct all the time. I know I made some mistakes with you..." Tabitha stood in line, finding another ice cream vendor and kept her gaze ahead rather on her oldest daughter. "But I am not one of your villains, okay? My mistakes are small, not severely damaging. And you are not a mother, do not tell me how to parent. You are nit picking small, insignificant things." Oscar's hold on Kairi loosened, and he wordlessly pulled at her pant leg. Without a moment to hesitate, Kairi reached over and scooped him up into her arms.

"'Small' things like that leave a huge impact," Kairi said, focusing her energy into softening her words in order to avoid riling her up, and her siblings. They may not understand her language, but they could feel her tone she had quickly realized. "You don't just _ignore_ your child when they're freaking out."

"I believe in crying stuff out, Kairi."

"That's when they're sleeping, Mom not...!" She scoffed, cutting off her words at the moment someone passing by glanced her way. "I don't have an issue playing the role of the older sister and attending to my baby brother when he's crying. I'm happy to be there for him, but it shouldn't be because my mother refuses to attend to him."

"You're pretty," Vivien said, impatiently spinning in line before she stopped to gawk at Momo. Momo looked down at the little girl, going red at the compliment.

"Oh, thank you!" Momo said, laughing gently. She lowered herself before the young girl and patted her head affectionately. "You're pretty too. But you know that's not the most important thing, right?"

"Yep! I know! It's better to be kind and wise and to listen to others and be respectful!" Vivien boasted proudly. The child's words drew Kairi, turning her head. The girl bounced and twirled happily as they waited in the lengthy line, expecting ice cream.

"Huh," Kairi whispered. "I don't... recall ever getting that lesson from you."

"My teacher talked about it! She said it's nice to be called pretty, but it's always better to be kind!" Vivien said, exuberant as ever.

"Look, I'm sorry if I upset you by not checking on Oscar to make sure he was okay. I didn't expect him to really be afraid of heights, especially not at his age," Tabitha replied. Her voice sounded more tired than apologetic, but Kairi was becoming exhausted with arguing about it. The line inched closer so they were only two customers away from receiving ice cream.

"I like foxes!" Vivien said, stopping in front of the two girls. "They're really cute and fuzzy." Kairi grinned, clutching Oscar tighter to her as he suckled his thumb.

"Yeah they are," she agreed. "I like elephants. They're my favorite animal."

"I have a book about an elephant!"

"Oh? I'd like to read it with you sometime."

"But it's at home..." Vivien grew quiet, her expression appearing a little sad. The line moved further and Ms. Tradesbury was able to buy a regular chocolate ice cream cone for Vivien, and she also purchased a mini bowl of vanila ice cream. Kairi took it from her and held it one hand, offering it Oscar. He launched himself forward, practically knocking it from her hand in his pursuit to take the ice cream from her.

"What do we say, Vivien?" Ms. Tradesbury asked then.

"Tha-! No... um... what was it again?" Vivien quickly dropped into a pensive tone, looking determined as she turned from her mother, to Kairi.

"_Origato_," Kairi whispered. With enthusiasm, Vivien gave her thanks to the ice cream seller in Japanese before the group moved along. A fuzzy jolt shocked Kairi's leg and her hand flew to her pocket. She produced her phone, seeing a text from Shoto. Her heart flew as she tapped it open.

_How is it going?_ \- Shoto.

_My mother continues to drive me nuts. I don't agree with many of the things she's doing. I mean, I guess they're seemingly small things most parents wouldn't think about, but I think the repetitiveness of them can lead to psychological damage. _\- Kairi.

_Does it remind you of how she raised you? Is it triggering at all?_ \- Shoto

_Well... I guess... maybe. Maybe that's why I'm responding to her so strongly, and getting so angry. But it also seems... like she's handling things better than perhaps she did when I was a kid? I dunno. It seems like there was a lot more mishandling when I was a kid, I guess. I still don't like some of the stuff she does. _\- Kairi.

_But you _are_ okay? _\- Shoto.

_Yes, Momo is with me. I feel mostly angry, spending this time with her. I wish it could be just me and my siblings, but I know that won't happen._

"Why do you need someone with you on all these trips again?" Tabitha asked, just as Kairi looked up from her phone and they passed a shop holding various games and figurines she had an interest in collecting. For a moment, her gaze lingered to the store before she snapped back and tucked her phone away. She dipped her finger in the bowl of ice cream and tapped it against Oscar's nose. His eyes popped in shock before he tried to locate the mound of dessert on the tip of nose. Kairi snorted, warmth rising in her stomach from the silly look on his face.

"It just makes things easier for Kairi," Momo explained briefly.

"It's not something your father demands, is it?" Tabitha said with a groan. "Does he think I'm going to hurt you or something?"

"It isn't... that," Kairi whispered, trying to step around the news that she had a shocker. Somehow, that didn't seem appropriate to share with her mother, especially with the children. "I get really anxious and considering this is all new for me, it makes it easier for me to have someone I know and trust with me." She slowly let out a brief, pride swelling inside her. Not a lie.

"But she _has_ made a lot of progress," Momo said quickly. "It was honestly amazing, watching her get to here from where she was. She really worked hard to get here and she's still working hard. It's been inspiring watching her, really!" Kairi pursed her lips, unable to say anything. Still, the glow in her cheeks gave away the richness of her humble pride that beamed out from every direction.

"I had help," Kairi said quietly.

"You had plenty of encouragement and support, but it really was your own doing. She really is very strong, Ms. Tradesbury and has gained a lot of success." Tabitha Tradesbury grinned, growing tall with the compliment.

"So I keep hearing, and seeing. Your success has made it to England's headlines, Kairi. It sounds like you have a really good group of friends who care for you. Momo, your name was?"

"Yes, M'am," Momo responded, respectfully.

"Wasn't her quirk difficult for you? To deal with?" Anger plunged back into Kairi's gut, while disappointment waited in the wings.

"I mean, there were some difficulties sure. But I just worked at it and focused on she was feeling rather than my own and it really became no trouble," Momo answered. There was no sarcasm or condescending in her voice. Genuine honesty, and that was all it seemed to take to drop Tabitha's expression.

"Oh. That's rather interesting."

"Trust me, when she's really trying to push out her quirk and use it as a weapon it's really terrifying. But that's only when she's fighting against people, and she's gotten better with controlling it. In your every day life, Kairi doesn't _want_ to make people feel what she's feeling and pulls it back as much as she can." Kairi nodded, eagerly affirming her words.

"What was next on our agenda?" Ms. Tradesbury asked, conveniently turning the subject. Chewing on her inner lip, Kairi offered Oscar another bite of ice cream before making sure he was balanced, and then dipping back into her pocket for her phone.

"Uhh, we were going to go to the indoor gardens, still." Momo turned her eyes, sharing her annoyed look with her friend. Kairi nodded sadly, agreeing. Yes, they both noticed how quickly she dismissed what Momo had said.

"Well, let's hurry up and do this then, before these little creatures start to fall asleep on me."

"They have ice cream, they won't be falling asleep anytime soon," Kairi giggled, watching as Vivien happily skipping while holding her ice cream cone. She returned to her phone, punching out a message with her one free hand as they walked briskly down the street.

_Hiw did is go tiday? _\- Kairi

_Duck i didnt mean hat _\- Kairi

_(laughing face emoji) You okay? _\- Shoto.

_Srry. Oscar on hip. Wlking. _\- Kairi

_Assuming you mean "How did it go today?" and... I guess it was okay. As okay as it can go when Endeavor is your internship and he also happens to be your father and you happen to be Shoto Todoroki. I'm really exhausted though. Probably just going to work on my homework and then maybe when you get home you and I can sit and watch something. _\- Shoto

_I wold realy love that_. - Kairi

_Maybe you should focus on holding the kid lol. -_Shoto.

"Do you want me to take him?" Momo offered, wearing a sympathetic grin as she watched Kairi struggle typing with one hand. Gratefully she nodded, and Momo reached for Oscar. She gave him an excited "Hi" just before taking him against her hip and Kairi's fingers flew freely.

_Momo has him for the moment so I have a couple minutes free. I would really love it. I'm exhausted. Not from the kids, I'm having fun with them. From my mother. -_Kairi

_I'll be with you tomorrow. I told my father there is absolutely no way I am working with him tomorrow. Of course he knows it's about you, so of course he's against it, and of course I don't care. _\- Shoto

_You really are a romantic dream sometimes, you know that? Lol _\- Kairi

_Am I? Where's my shining armor? Where's my horse? I would really love one _\- Shoto.

_Can I name it Roach? - _Kairi.

_Roach? Why would you name a horse Roach? _ \- Shoto

_Oh my dear, you are not a man of culture and I must change that. However will we get along?_ \- Kairi

_Through mutual respect and understanding that I will never get all your references? _\- Shoto

_Why would we ever do that? Lol jk. _\- Kairi

"Why are you smiling at your phone?" Vivien asked. The comment caught Kairi and she reached to tuck her phone away, her face as red as the setting sun just behind them.

"Oh, er, my friend was sending me funny stuff," She quickly covered.

"The boy from before?" Vivien asked.

"Yeah he's... you know, like a friend. Yeah, him." Tabitha narrowed her eyes with suspicion, and Kairi turned her attention away. Free of devices and a child, Kairi's hands swung loosely at her sides. Vivien jumped, catching Kairi's swinging hand and caught it. She smiled at her older sister, who grinned proudly as she clutched her hands tightly.

Momo continued to balance the child just as her own phone went off. She whipped it out, seeing texts from Shoto as well.

_Jiro's on board with playing music for Kairi's party. Of course, Aoyama happily is already seeking decorations and he is shooting down all my ideas, saying they're ugly or don't go with the aesthetic. He also isn't happy with the budget I'm putting on it. Of course, I believe in giving Kairi the world, but my father already isn't happy I'm dating her. If I use excess money I don't have access to, it might make things even worse. _\- Shoto.

_Sato agreed to the cake? _\- Momo.

_Yeah, he did. I'm talking to Midoriya and Uraraka about arranging some other things too. _\- Shoto.

_Double Aoyama's budget. I'll contribute too. You're right. Kairi does deserve the world. Especially since this may be her first birthday party with friends. _\- Momo.

_He'll be glad to hear that. Thank you. And there's... another thing. I helped/forced Kairi to turn off notification alerts regarding news about her, so she may not have heard about it yet. But this stalker thing is freaking me out... and something else came in the media today. Also uncredited. Again. I'm taking it to All Might and Aizawa soon. _\- Shoto. The incoming text made Momo go pale in the few seconds before an attached picture came through. Before Kairi could spot her phone, Momo tucked it away, patting Oscar's back as they neared the entrance to the indoor gardens.

The picture on the phone was of Kairi and Shoto, standing around as they spoke with Ms. Tradesbury, Oscar, and Vivien in the airport. Either the camera had an excellent lens or, the photographer had been incredibly close.


	81. Heroic Displays

**CW: This chapter contains depictions of child abuse and discussions thereof.**

* * *

Oscar stared up at a striking black and red costume, dazed by it's design of wide bat-like wings. Ms. Tradesbury tugged on his arm, but the toddler refused to move from where he stood. He extended a hand, pointing at the display before him.

"Oscar, come on, baby... " their mother whispered. "Let's get a move on."

"Hey mom! It's Princess Glitter's costume!" Vivien cried excitedly pointing at a bright and flashy costume on display that was, yes, covered in glitter. The hero had long been deceased but she was one of the first mainstream powerful female heroes to come onto the scene, sixty years ago or so. Kairi shook her head, trying to not make her disdain for the late hero obvious.

"Not a fan?" Shoto chuckled, seeing her expression.

"Moreso I'm not a fan of what the media molded her into," Kairi explained, crossing her arms. "They highly sexualized her and all the hero work she did, she had to fight to do herself. They would publish her saving children, but never the work she did to save business executives - men, if I'm being honest. They forced her to dress as girly as possible and the pressures of society made her diet dangerously. Also, her costume left glitter _everywhere_ she went. Thing of the damage that did the environment!"

"Yeah," Shoto agreed, looking back over at Vivien as she sang the theme song from an old children's show Princess Glitter hosted in her later years. "But she did pave the way for many other female superheroes, remember that. She wanted to be something more than what the media molded her to be."

"Yeah," Kairi agreed, sighing with sadness. "I know I need to be thankful that things are nowhere near as bad for us now as it was for her, but..."

"I get it," Shoto replied softly. "It still shouldn't be as tough as it is. Women should still be appreciated and treated equally as men, and not just when it comes to hero work." The stood in the costume hall of the Children's Hero Museum - built with contributions put forth by UA. The hall was large, several rows of display cases with various costumes from heroes past and a few present. Vivian and Oscar weren't the only children present. Eight other children happily bounced around within the current hall they visited, other rooms holding more children still. The room was bright, the large overhead lights reflecting off the yellow walls to create a warm atmosphere.

"I know I'm just a kid, and still in high school, and times are different... but if I am experiencing even a fraction of the pressure she was under?" Kairi scoffed, awestruck at the way the lights glistened over the glimmer of the her costume. "She's a hero alone just for dealing with all ofit, with a smile on her face."

"Hey Mummy, do you think Kairi's costume will be in here one day?" Vivien asked, bouncing over to the next costume with a giant spider across its chest.

"If she wants to," Ms. Tradesbury said proudly, raising her voice just enough to be heard by the patrons around them. Kairi groaned, turning away from the sparkly-eyed look she was receiving. "Then so many pictures would be taken with it and she would be so popular."

"What does your costume even look like?" Vivian asked, turning around to face her sister. "Is it cool?" Shoto smirked, dropping himself in front of in lieu of Kairi.

"It's very cool," he said.

"Is it pretty?" she gasped.

"The primary objective of a hero's costume is to serve them in their tasks," he declared, patting Vivian's lightened brown hair. "But yes - it looks very pretty on her."

"Shoto," she whispered, coloring a deep red. Vivian giggled as Shoto left her, returning to Kairi's side.

"You seem a bit annoyed. Everything okay?" he asked as they followed the Tradesburys past the hall of hero costumes and entered the room dedicated to the various weapons and objects heroes used to help aid them in their missions. Kairi sadly shook her head, longing eyes following her siblings as they jumped around in excitement.

"It's just that unlike them, I'm not on vacation. I still have to go to school, and after school I have to force myself to spend time with them. It's not their fault - trust me, I would never blame those kids for it. But it's my mother's _timing_. I keep getting told 'take a break, relax' so much that eventually someone is going to break into that damn song from Hamilton - NO, SHOTO," Kairi threatened, just as he was about to open his mouth with a whimsical grin. "And every time I try, my schedule gets forced to fill again. I go to school, I come home, turn around to hang with them, go home, do some homework and pass out. I wake up the next day, and do it all again. I had to skip two counselor sessions when I could really use them right now. It's so so much. And it's run, run, run to try and see everything Japan has to offer. This last week we've stopped at three places every day when I'm done with school, so I can't even imagine what they did while I was in school! And then there's... the kids! I mean they have _so much energy_!" As a perfect example, Vivien ran around, swinging an imaginary lasso in place while Oscar chased her. He laughed musically, in a way that still tugged at Kairi's heart despite how exhausting their wild nature was.

"I hate to tell you this, but that's how children are, Riri," Shoto slowly said.

"I know, and I'm not... once again, not faulting for them. School is done at the end of March, why couldn't she just have come then? Not when studying is the most crucial because we have exams coming up, and I already have a full plate as it is! I feel like it's some sort of power move, but I have no frickin' idea what it would. I'm just so, so tired and I want to sleep." Vivian's running around quickly turned into a strange sort of jog, while she held her knees together. Her clenching movements as she tried to move around were a dead giveaway.

"Uh oh," Shoto said. Kairi nodded.

"I know..." she said, just as Vivian reached to tug on her mother's arm. Kairi walked forwards, taking a hold of her little sister's hand just as Tabitha Tradesbury looked down. "It's okay, I can take her."

"Thank you," said her mother. Kairi tugged lightly on Vivian's arm, and the young girl followed suit. The two of them passed Shoto, heading in the direction of the restrooms. "Be back in a minute," she said to him. Shoto took the spare moment to look around himself, and then dig for his phone. Urgent fingers pounded across the screen, punching out a text.

_I have yet to spot anyone who seems suspicious, or looks to be a member of paparazzi. Cameras aren't allowed inside without a permit, however_. - Shoto

_Great. Still working on following up the photo you found. The minute you do, let me know_. - Aizawa

_Understood_. - Shoto

He tucked his phone away, and crept closer to Tabitha and Oscar as she pointed out a pair of sunglasses and a geometric looking ring from behind a display. Awkwardly he remained nearby, feeling slightly constricted without Kairi to act as the buffer between them. It seemed Ms. Tradesbury was always aware of the awkwardness, as she looked over his direction while talking to Oscar.

"Shoto," she whispered, garnering his attention. He turned to face her.

"Yes, Ms. Tradesbury?"

"You and Kairi - you _are_ a couple, correct?" He swallowed harshly.

"What did she tell you?"

"She calls you a close friend."

"Then I am as she says."

"But that's a lie, isn't it?" he held his balled hands behind his back.

"How is that a lie?"

"Oh come on, cut the shit," she snarled. Her feisty reaction, especially towards someone she knew hardly at all, took Shoto aback. He flinched, a bad taste curdling in his mouth. "My quirk is Perception, but it's not like it takes a quirk to see what's going on."

"It also doesn't take a quirk to see you need to be a little more respectful." Tabitha scoffed, lowering Oscar from where she held him against the glass of a display case.

"Excuse me? You dare to talk to your elders like that?"

"I treat my elders with respect until they give me a reason not to." Beneath his core, an angry bull scuffed its hooves, his spirit gearing for an attack.

"Being a Todoroki and a top promising hero doesn't give you special privileges to speak to me that way!"

"That isn't what I mean. I don't care for my name or the perks it could give me. You are not giving respect to Kairi, ergo I don't desire to give you any respect. You haven't treated her well her whole life, so why would you expect me to do the same to you? Honestly, Kairi treats you better than she really should. And if you expect to rile me, I guarantee you - I have plenty of experience dealing with bad parents."

"Are you calling me a bad parent?" she scoffed.

"I simply told you I have experience dealing with bad parents. You're the one who assumed."

"I do _not_ want you to be dating my daughter!" she burst, alerting the attention of a few other museum goers in the vicinity.

"Well, unfortunately for you, you're not the one who gets to make that decision. That's solely Kairi's decision," he said. "That is, should she decide to date me." A scuffled gallop clamored into the room behind them, following by an excited singing of a jubilant child.

"Mum! I'm back!" Vivian sang, clinging onto Ms. Tradesbury's fingers while she glowered at Shoto. The moment Kairi took to his side, stress shot up through her lungs, coiling around herself. She looked between the cool and determined expression Shoto held, comparing it to the fiery red that burned in her mother's eyes. Conclusion reached, her stomach flopped.

"Kairi, break up with him _now_," her mother hissed, her eyes demanded.

"I- what? No- I mean, what makes you think we're even _dating_?" she hissed out, stumbling across her sentences.

"It's hard not to see," she said as she bore her rage against Shoto.

"I - _no_! You don't get to tell me who to date!"

"He's a bad influence on you!"

"What in the hell makes you think that?"

"He's corrupting your mind and telling you I'm a bad mother! Look, I understand you may have some Daddy issues, but that doesn't mean-!"

"MOM!" Kairi shouted. The entire room had been alerted to their heated discussion now, even including those in the next room. One security guard lingered near the door, observing them with interest. Two others stepped closer to the group, crossing their arms with warning as they looked on. Kairi crumbled within, heat flaring across her face as embarrassment collided with her anger. "Sorry," she apologized weakly, then dropped her tone to a whisper. "Can we discuss this outside?"

"No, I want it discussed _now_!" she spat. "Why must you even bring someone with you, are you really that scared to be out in public? Do you truly need someone to hold your hand?" A portion of Shoto's brain snapped at accusation. He inched in front of Kairi.

"That's enough, Ms. Tradesbury," he said lowly.

"Oh, and I see you need him to fight your battles for you too," she scoffed.

"At least he's willing to fight for me, unlike you," she mumbled.

"Mummy, please, it's okay..." Vivian pleaded, just as Oscar began to cry.

"Yes, I made you fight your own battles - and look were you are now! At the top hero school, training to become one yourself! You should be thanking me!" Tabitha hissed.

"I was a _child_! I needed to know I was _loved_!"

"He's poisoning your mind and projecting his own parental issues onto you!"

"No, he isn't! Shoto has been a huge support for me since the beginning! He never neglected and encouraged me to better myself while also acknowledging when I need an extra hand! He's a major part of my support system, and along with our friends, has become like family! If I want to date him, I can, and the only person who can alter that decision is him! The only parental approval I care for is Dad, and he's given it! He was the parent who _stayed_, the one who continued to raise me and help even when it was hard! And when he didn't know how to help and felt at the end of his rope, he sought out further help, for me and for him to make sure I was getting the assistance needed. _Dad_ is the one that helped me onto my course of being a hero, not you. Shoto met me where I was at and held on when I needed it - and then he let go when I was confident I could do it myself! You didn't do that! You didn't teach me to ride a bike, you didn't teach me how to tie my shoes, you didn't help with homework, you didn't comfort me when I was being bullied, and you didn't help me get into hero school! You were only ever in my life when it benefited you! You're only here now because I'm famo-"

_Snap_. The sound echoed before Kairi felt the sting across her face. At the strike, Shoto snatched Ms. Tradesbury's hand before she could draw back, his free hand holding a small, threatening flame before her.

"Just try that one more time, Ms. Tradesbury," he snarled. Oscar erupted into a series of wails. Vivian clutched her brother tight, shushing him as she shuddered her own quiet cries. The two security guards moved in closer then, their presence hindering any further conversation in the group.

"M'am, we're going to have to ask you to take this outside and figure out your family problems yourself."

"Or you could call child services," Shoto suggested, his hand still clenched around Tabitha's wrist. "You personally just witnessed her hit her daughter; isn't that enough to be suspicious she's hitting them as well?" he gestured in the direction of the kids.

"I have never once laid a finger on my children!" she squeaked.

"You just did!" Kairi gasped, rubbing the side of her face where her mother had struck. It burned but the impact hadn't been too bad. Whatever mark she left was likely to fade in minutes. However, the action scarred her soul. Maybe it had been better she left, if this was the kind of thing she was prone to. If this was the type of person she was, _had_ she done something similar to her siblings? If not worse...?

"M'am... please..." The guard said politely, but more adamant this time. Shoto released her arm and she jerked away. She relented and followed the guard, her kids trailing behind. Kairi jumped forward, ready to take a hold of them to keep them apart from their mother. But the guard smiled, holding out an assuring hand. "We have our eyes on them, don't worry." The other guard motioned for Kairi and Shoto to follow him, but she shook her head.

"It's fine, we'll show our own way out," she whispered. The eyes of the rest of the room dug into her. Kairi shrunk under their gaze, containing herself as tightly as a vise. Her feet burned, urging her feet to move quickly but they just couldn't go fast enough. The judgement of others tore into her esteem, and she imagined every thought that flew her way. Shoto pressed a hand against her back as he quickened his pace in time with hers. They flew out the front door, muttering a quick thanks before she finally unleashed an anguished scream.

"_What _the _fuck_ is her problem?! Can you believe...? What is... if she did that... to me? What if... those kids! Oh my god _those_ _kids_!" She jumbled together.

"I know..." Shoto said.

"We got to get them away! We have to report her! Who knows if they're safe?"

"Kairi, take a deep breath first..." he advised, reached forward to grip both her shoulders. She obeyed, pulling in heavy breaths. "Okay. The thing is, she hit you, right? But she doesn't have custody of you, so it's not going to be evidence for anything."

"Except, couldn't that draw some suspicion she might be abusing those children?" Shoto nodded.

"It's possible. But that's something that I think would have to be investigated."

"There are cameras in the museum! And there were so many witnesses!" Kairi screamed.

"I know, dear. I know. But it's proof towards her treatment towards you_, not _proof towards however she's treating them. They'll need to be interview and that can take a while. She's not a resident of Japan, she lives in England. And she's leaving in a few days. This is something that would need to be reported to child protective services in England, who would need to obtain this evidence from the staff would work here."

"Well, we have connections. Many. We could easily help with that."

"Yes, but this isn't something that's going to be solved in the few days she's here. These types of things don't finish in that short of time. This is something that would take months, and that's if they even determine she's a danger. But we _will_ use every resource we have, I promise. They don't deserve to live through the terrible parental treatment we did, right? We'll talk to your father, get some advice about what to do, and then go from them."

Kairi sniffled, the frantic state of her heart mellowing at the cadence of his words. While her mind exploded with nonsense, he remained level headed and provided reasonability when she could find none. She wiped at her face, wet with her angry fear.

But then a hurried shuffle on the museum steps pulled their attention back. The guard from the earlier, the one that tried to escort them out, came barreling towards them. Panic stitched into his expression, focused with disciplined alertness.

"We've calmed down! We're not causing a disturbance!" Kairi shouted quickly.

"The woman... the children... they haven't returned to you?"

"No, they're with the other guard!"

"No, they're not." Her heart stalled.

"What do you mean, they're not?"

"He took them into one of our community rooms to hold them until the police arrived, as is our policy. After you left, I ran back there and he was standing there alone. He said he didn't know where they went, they just seemed to disappear and he seemed very dazed. I thought they had met up with you!"

"And you have no idea where they have gone?" The guard shook his head.

"Not a clue!"

"Cameras then," Shoto said, but the guard seemed to understand it as an order.

"Right!" the guard said, before he hurried back into the building. Shoto pulled his phone from his pocket, and pressed at a few buttons. He held the phone to his ear, listening to the musical trilling on the other end. Kairi wrung her hands around Shoto's free one. He tightened his grip against her.

"_Yeah_?" answered the voice on the other end.

"Aizawa," Shoto said. "Kairi's mother and siblings have gone missing. Guard claims she just disappeared and I guess seems dazed. Could that be related to Kairi's stalker?"

"_It's possible. I'll alert a few, and then be over there as soon as possible_."

"Should I call Kairi's father?"

"_No. It's not a good idea to involve more personal parties than necessary. Children's Hero Museum, correct_?"

"Yes, Sir."

"_Should something happen - I am giving you and Hoshino permission to act. I'll assemble a small force as quickly as I can, which calls for those in my immediate proximity. Which means_-"

"UA students and teachers," Shoto guessed. Kairi's body grew rigid at his response, worry injecting itself into her veins and shaking her form with sickness.

"_Exactly. We'll be there as soon as I can gather others and get them over. Work with the guard and see if there's anything you can investigate."_ The phone clicked off and Shoto tucked his phone away. Kairi's eyes, beaded with her tears, watching him with impatient desperation.

"Well, we've received the go ahead," Shoto said, holding her hands tight in his.

"The... go ahead?" she repeated. He nodded.

"Looks like we may get a chance to show all those children real heroes in action."


	82. Caught Unawares

Without a moment to hesitate or even question Shoto, Kairi was already heading back into the building. The sound of her heart's ferocity dulled all others around them. A few other patrons snarled and scolded the two of them for running in the museum while the rest still looked on with quiet disgust. Another guard who had been standing nearby quickly reached them and slapped a hand on Shoto's shoulder. He acted quickly, reaching for the billfold on his person to produce his provisional hero's license.

"I'm not a visitor anymore," he explained, displaying his license clearly. "I am acting as Shoto, official hero of Japan. Regarding the missing woman and children." As if the words were magic, the guard stood to attention. Recognition flashed in his eyes and he nodded, looking between Kairi and Shoto.

"Yes, Sir. Shoto and the Emotive Iris."

"A guard went into the security room to check the CCTV footage, correct?"

"Yes sir! He did!" The guard said with enthusiasm. Kairi looked around to the surrounding visitors, whispers exchanged between them and their families. Several were starting to take out their phones and snap pictures. Kairi's body wrung together, disturbed by the attention they were drawing. She stepped behind Shoto, tugging on his arm.

"We need to do something about the people..." she whispered. He nodded, understanding. The guard, having also heard her, began to speak into the radio strapped to his shoulder.

"Follow protocol, make sure each room is staffed with at least two guards. Assure the visitors the situation is being handled and that there is no reason to panic..." He continued to speak and Kairi kept her eyes on the room they stood in. A young boy cried, and it tore through her soul. A girl just a few years younger than her rocked in her step nervously. Several parents talked to each other in a panic. A father held four children close to him as he watched the scenario with them suspiciously.

She dropped her head back and shut her eyes, breathing deeply. She recalled first the smell of wildflowers, a warm spring day and... no, she flinched, changing her memory. A movie played on her laptop, but there wasn't a cell in her memory that could recall what the film was. The two of them, her and Shoto, laid out on his floor. Around them wrapped the mulled music of whatever film she probably insisted he experience. Funny - it was likely she demanded he see it because his life was incomplete without it; and yet it was impossible to focus when his perfect eyes fell on her. His inattention to the film was exactly what made her memory. His fingers wove through her locks as they splayed out on the floor. She puffed, a few strands falling in front of her face. Shoto grinned, reaching to pushed them away. Just as her eyes were clear of the hair, his fingers lingered around her face. A thumb caressed the route of her jaw, her skin happily prickling at the heat of his touch.

The feelings conjuring in Kairi briefly settled the storm of her emotions - a resting calm took its place. She gripped the memory, restraining it just for the moment. Shoto eyed her longingly as she filled with her calm, his chest rising with his impassioned pride of her of everything she was, of her actions, of her intellect, of her quickness to observe and act, of her heroics, of her.

"_I'm in the security room but nothing seems out of place,"_ came the echo over the radio. The calm Kairi had previously harnessed released as her gut punched through her, reacting to the news recited over the radio. Shoto looked back, reaching for her hand as he watched her face blanch.

"What do you mean nothing seems out of place?" the guard before them quickly spat as he slapped at his radio.

"_I'm... not sure. I mean something definitely feels off. That's for certain. I see the door open and I see people enter but..."_

"Is it the ones we took in?"

"_I mean... I guess... who are we looking for again?"_

"MY SIBLINGS! MY MOTHER!" Kairi screamed, reaching forward for the radio, but the guard jumped away from her. Reflexively, he held out a hand to her - either to stop her or as a warning should she attempt to do so again.

"_Children? Oh! Right... I guess there's..." _The radio grew quiet once more, and then. "_I just see an empty room_."

"What the fu..." Kairi roared in her hiss, her venomous eyes seering into the floor around them. She shot her expression back up to the guard before them. "Can you get us into that security room?"

"I apologize that's authorized personnel only," he replied with little emotion behind it. Kairi quietly fumed, pivoting her head to look over at Shoto. He narrowed his expression but kept his voice calm as he spoke.

"Sir, this may be very well involved with a current criminal situation the Pro Heroes are working with the police to investigate. I am here on official public duty in order to assist and protect civilians. I'll ask again - please allow us to see the security room." The guard directed his attention back over to Kairi. A fire roared beneath her chest, igniting the curl of her lips and the blazing anger that burned from her pupils. The guard visibly took in a deep breath - whether from looking upon her expression, or from the overspill of her fear-fueled anger was unknown.

"And her? Does she also have a license on her?" Kairi's eyes popped at the question. A parade of words and questions traveled in her mind, most of them obscene and all of them reportedly unkind. Logic kicked at her, reigning in the lash of her tongue. Her eyes sought out Shoto. The connection between them filled Shoto in on her thoughts in a mere second, and he read in her wrath-shrouded eyes she was seeking help.

"You're not serious," he scoffed. "You have already made it clear you know who _the_ Iris is."

"That I do. But I need proof she's here on hero business." The sharpness in his eyes held the same deadly threat Kairi had seen in Endeavor's own expression several times before. She took in a shocked breath.

"Proof? I'm here on hero business. She's my partner." Icicles trailed down Kairi's spine at the word. "You can even verify it with Eraserhead, who is on his way. Not to mention those missing children are her siblings. Are you _certain_ you really want to challenge us on this matter?" The guard seemed to weaken as he shifted his attention from Shoto, back to Kairi. It was possible she was mistaken, but was he slightly wavering in his stance.

"Yes, Sir... and M'am. I apologize. Please, follow me." The guard still appeared hesitant, but he led them through their current room. He called to the impatient and restless visitors that hung away from them to return to their activities. He added that the situation remained under control. Kairi's hand flew up to cover her face as another camera snapped.

"There's going to be so much coverage tomorrow," she shuddered quietly. Shoto had no reply.

The guard seemed to wind through six more rooms before they found themselves walking through the lobby once more. He led them through a skinny hallway just as he fingered through a selection of keys on his belt. A door reading SURVELLIANCE ROOM - EMPLOYEES ONLY opened with the turn of his key. Before them set a desk with a line of three monitors. The desk was cluttered with a keyboard and speakers and a couple of unfamiliar electronic devices covered in buttons. The guard that had spoken to them outside sat in the chair before the desk, camera situation on an empty room. The room had nothing more than a small table and a few chairs – one of the community rooms the museum had out for rent.

"Play it back," ask the guard who led them there. The first guard nodded, and held a button on the top of the keyboard. The footage moved quickly in frames, stopping around the time the scene with her mom occurred. The guard pressed play, and the four of them watched again.

There was nothing, of course. The room remained empty. Her heart leapt at the sight of the door opening, and she noticed some figures. But then it was as if her attention wandered elsewhere - the garbage bin the corner of the screen, sticky notes pressed against the monitor. When Kairi looked back up at the monitor, the room was empty again.

"Wait... hold on," guard two said beside him. "I'm sorry, I missed that. Can you go back?"

"That's... the issue I was having too," muttered guard one under his breath. Kairi's chest crumbled, dread pressuring against it. She eyed Shoto who met her with a similarly concerned expression.

"Did you see what happened?" she whispered. He shook his head.

"I was distracted by the notes on the whiteboard over there. I... I don't understand how I got so distracted. This is..."

"No," Kairi interrupted. "It's okay I was... too..." Suspicion clouded her as the footage play again and she struggled to keep her eyes on the screen. She observed the color of the uniform of the guard in front of her, before the heat of Shoto's hand brushing against her own caught her breath. Excited sparks shot up her wrists just before heat bloomed in her cheeks. Kairi pulled her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. Her attention flitted back to the screen again - empty, once again.

"I... sorry, for some reason I couldn't...!" Guard two apologized hurriedly.

"It's the same for me," Guard one said from his chair, churning out exasperated sympathy. Kairi swallowed the twisting dread that began in her mind and now was beginning to make its home in her core. Slowly, she turned to face Shoto.

He breathed in slowly, suspicion already strong in his opinion. He didn't need to feel Kairi's quirk to understand her emotion - he was organically feeling the same. A jostle of sickness, slapping waves of anger and anxiety. They danced together briefly before they coiled as one and latched against his insides. Slowly, his fingers curled into his fists, anchoring down his fury. For the moment, anyway.

"We're not seeing it because there's another party involved..." began Kairi with trepidation. "This new party has some kind of quirk that isn't letting us see them." Shoto's eyebrow twitched.

"Your stalker," he whispered. Her heart plummeted into her gut, yet somehow that knowledge had already sat with her.

"Stalker?" Asked guard two.

"It would explain how you haven't been able to notice. How we haven't noticed him," said Shoto. Her knees shook under her, threatening to give way. Bit by bit, the picture was forming together about what was happening, even if she couldn't notice what was happening in that room.

"Does your stalker have an invisibility quirk?" Guard one asked.

"We've never seen him, but I highly doubt that's what is happening," Shoto explained. Kairi disappeared from the conversation, losing herself within her own realm. Her sense swayed from side to side, disbelief held her down while fear crushed her in its walls. Within, she coiled up in a ball, seeking out any line of breath she could take. Then, the floor disappeared under her, and she crushed into darkness. Heavy crashes of water pushed her over, dragging her down. With each moment she was able to resurface, another pelt smacked her below. Kairi gasped, screaming out the names of her siblings. They had disappeared. She was responsible, and under her eyes they vanished. Her mother. A mother who beat her confidence again and again. A mother who talked down to her. A mother who took and took, never once giving. A mother who continued to abuse her with her words. A mother who, despite everything, she still loved and wanted by her side. A mother who didn't deserve to be her mother. A mother she didn't want in her life. A mother she still hoped was all right.

Shoto watched as Kairi's sight seemed to vanish from the room they were in. Automatically, as if she held no control over her own body, she backed against the wall. His spirit propelled himself forward. His hand flew out, preventing her from smacking her hand against the wall. Adrenaline already slapped his heart repeatedly, but the increase of twisting worry demanded it prepare to burst from him.

"Kairi?" he whispered, as a free hand flew to her cheek, brushing aside her hair from her eyes. "I am right here," he continued, having seen this several times before - but not to this degree. "Riri... honey, I'm right here." He dropped his hand from her cheek and snatched her hand, squeezing it tightly. The center of his chest throbbed with the ferocity of his emotions. The air seemed to constrict his form, stealing his breath at the same time. Confused images wound with nonsensical words as they passed in his mind.

Kairi felt the hand, Shoto's familiar touch awakening her. The depths around her vanished. The charming eyes of her sister appeared in her mind, followed by the whimsy smile of Oscar. Her mother briefly flashed in her eyes. It was almost all too much for her to handle - but that didn't matter. It couldn't matter. It was cruel for the world to ask her to take on as much as she was, this was true - but this was her family. Whatever glass cage her emotions held her in, Kairi charged to shatter it. The stalker scared the shit out of her and she hated every bit of attention she was being given by then. But this no longer involved just her. Her family was being threatened. Her innocent, young siblings who had any involvement - or any choice - in any of this business were now in danger. All of her anxiety, her worries, her fears... they stepped aside and made way for the boiling, roaring rage that spawned vibrantly in her chest.

"I'm fine," she whispered. Kairi flicked her eyes to Shoto. The corner of his lip turned with a smirk, seeing she was, in fact, perfectly fine. Not a trace of her uncertainty or worried remained. The creature that lived in him growled pleasantly at the image of Kairi rising from the wall, holding her head firmly. Steady determination partnered with fury when he looked into her warm amber eyes. This was the defiant Kairi, the one he always knew lived there. This was the part of her that would go beyond everything in her that incorrectly told her she wasn't good enough. This was the part of her that would be the hero - the part where her love and compassion would fuel her anger and move towards her need for justice.

"Who was the guard who took my mother and siblings?" she fired off.

"Can't say I know that much about him," guard two answered. Her brows raised with interest. "Honestly I... don't really know if I can remember his name or... what he even looked like."

"What do you mean? It wasn't Eito?" asked guard one.

"I mean... I don't think so? I would have remembered if it was Eito. Has Eito even been in today?"

"I... don't actually think I saw Eito today."

"Kairi," Shoto said as the two guards speculated over who the other guard was. Kairi's body stiffened as she looked to his eyes.

"I know," she whispered. "Sirs, I apologize for interrupting but I doubt the guard was... Eito."

"What makes you say that?" asked guard one.

"No one - not even Pro Heroes, or the police, seem to be able to locate who my stalker is. Despite the fact we know the exact time and place where some of the suspicious photos of me were taken and many places have cameras in those places. We can't put a name to a face and can't even locate a face. I think this guard - whoever he is - is my stalker. He seems to constantly know where I am at all times, and followed me to this museum. He is posing as a guard and used that as a way to kidnap my family. For what reason? I don't know. But he made a big mistake doing so. He involved my young siblings and he is about to understand _exactly why_ I am training to be a hero."

Shoto shivered at the echo of her words, their effect energizing him with vigor.

"Remind me to tell you that you're hot later," he whispered quietly.

"Not the time," she said, despite the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Understood."

"But we would have noticed if someone else was posing as a guard," said guard two. Shoto shook his head.

"Would you? You can't recall what he looks like. You can't recall what his name is. You can't see him on the screen. My guess is that his quirk is something along the lines of the able to not be noticed. Not invisible, he can just choose to not let others around him notice his presence. Seems like it's powerful enough that even on a recording, you don't even notice him. My guess is he has some sort of vendetta with the Emotive Iris - it's why he's been stalking her, taking photos of her, submitting them to media outlets because he knew it would aggravate her and capture her attention. He knows her every move, every part of her itinerary and has been using his quirk to follow her unnoticed. That's how police haven't caught him and no one's reported seeing him. Now he's gone and abducted her mother and siblings. He _wants_ her to come after him."

"Well, he's about to get his wish," Kairi growled.

"Then what do we do?" asked guard one.

"We investigate the room, see what clues they hold. Maybe we can figure out where they went," Shoto suggested, looking to Kairi for confirmation. She nodded, agreeing. The seated guard rose from his seat, stretching his arms. The both of them, at the very least, seemed to finally be on board with following through with this sudden investigation. Shoto's phone pinged and he looked to see a text from Aizawa, confirming they were close. The boy spent a moment tapping out brief details of what they learned at the moment Kairi smirked. He looked her direction just as they exited the security room.

"What is it?" he asked.

"He kidnapped the worst person imaginable for someone with his quirk," she replied, the amusement slightly lifting her negative emotions.

"What do you mean by that?"

"My mother. They decided to kidnap the one person who can notice things most people can't."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hello! If you've made it this far into this story - first of all holy CRAP you are amazing and I can't believe you're still reading this rubbish after 80 some chapters lol. But thank you, from the bottom of my soul I thank you so much.**

**Second, in the Doc I have been writing this story, I am sad to say I have reached the end of this tale. Don't worry, I still have ten more chapters or so to upload. But just know that finally, maybe to some of your relief (yes, I know it's long and I have no impulse control) it is finally coming to an end. Now, I have some editing to go through before uploading each chapter but on my end it is complete. Because this story ending up becoming such a huge part of me and I invested so much of my soul into it, I do want to end it with a sort of Acknowledgements and Afterward, if you would care for that sort of thing. Now, because I have gotten questions now and then from you beautiful readers of which I am so thankfully, I wanted to let you know ahead of time so that I may include some answers to some of your questions. So if you have anything you're wanting to know at all that's been bugging you or even something simple, go right ahead I will answer it in the final submission of this story.**

**Third and finally: I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for how kind and receptive you've been to this story. I loved writing this story, despite the fact that I recognize there's a lot of errors and issues with it - and yes, there is a lot of it that is unabashedly self-indulgent on my part. So I am completely and eternally grateful that this average piece would garner as much as attention as it has. You are honestly all so kind and you make me so happy. I adore you all and I love you. I hope that maybe this story has been able to give you a little slice of comfort is in this terrifying time. Please stay safe and take care of yourselves. I know I'm just words on a screen, but you who is reading this, I do care about your well-being, especially in this chaotic time. You are valued and love. Stay safe friends.  
****(And it's my husband's and my second anniversary on May 19th thought I would share that because it's exciting aaahhhh okay baaayyyyyyeee)**


	83. Strengths Hidden Below

The young heroes followed the guards down a slender hallway, walking in single file. The heavy beat of Kairi's heart ached her ears. Anxious fingers balled into fists that swung at her sides. The frost of fear melted. Determination pulsed through her veins, invigorated by the electric anger that fueled her system. Calmly, but impatiently, she watched the guard before them carefully select the correct key and open the door to the room. It was a small room; a simple table in the center surrounded by four chairs. A large bulletin board stretched across the farthest wall, papers with reminders of varying events.

"This is your holding room?" Shoto guessed.

"No, it's just a place where we may have events for children or host birthday parties. On the rare occasion we have an incident, we take them in here to speak with them - or hold them til police arrive," said the first guard. The second guard remained by his side, quiet as his pupils searched around them. Kairi's eyes fell on the chairs, one pushed farther away from the table than the rest. Of course, it was hard to know if the chairs were already like that or if that happened when her siblings were in here. Vigilance pulled her gaze across the room, dropping to her knees to comb the short shorn carpet.

"How many people have been in here today?" Kairi asked quickly. Guard two shrugged before she whipped back to look at him.

"This room gets used for weekly meetings, events, and as he said, the odd incident. Now and then a staff member will need to use it. It's a rather slow time for us to be honest, and we had no meeting or training today. I would venture maybe three or four people before your family was in here." Shoto crouched beside Kairi, studying her closely. Her focus shifted, her emotions briefly draining as she shifted her priorities to the patterns and woven fabric of the ground around them. Watching every color, every stitch before them and the way particles fell against the grain. The girl reached, pulling at the fibers in front of them and finding pieces of dirt - and crumbs, even - pressed deep into the carpet. At the moment of her find, a deep in take of breath sounded behind them. Shoto, however, raised a hand for them to wait just one minute.

Her eyes darted around while his own mismatched ones only sought out her. He traced over the reach of her arm, how she so carefully brushed against the dirt and narrowed her expression. Kairi sharpened her focus, allowing herself to pay attention to every possibility; that every minor thing could mean everything. She hummed to herself, reigning in her focus and pushing aside the biting nerves. Particles of dirt and dust fell into a pattern - uneven, but a pattern nonetheless, and they directly trailed a more even pattern, in larger clusters and heavy debris-laden. She swiveled, falling to her knees. The guards stepped aside as she crawled, watching the pattern of dirt. Another set followed along, but the dirt particles were spread out in smaller groupings. They were also more even. They were recent, too. Whereas the older dirt and debris had already had taken to sink deeper into the carpet, this new dirt still sat on the top of the carpet.

"What are you doing?" asked the second guard.

"She's..." In the middle of his sentence, Shoto's heart was immediately shocked by his being impressed, warmth bursting from its center as he looked on with dazed admiration. "You're tracking!"

Kairi peered back to give him a slightly mischievous smirk. Somewhere within her, a gentle pride tickled. Her spirit fluttered knowing she was still impressing him.

"Someone with heavy boots led away someone with an uneven walking pattern, a smaller set walking beside them," Kairi said, walking across her fours as she followed the pattern outside the room. They trailed further down the hallway. Despite how ridiculous the girl might have looked to those who didn't have any context of her actions, she further crawled, stopping just before an unmarked down at the end of the slender hall way. "They go through this door."

"What makes you think these belong to... the people you're seeking?" Guard one asked, more curious than accusing. Kairi hobbled back onto her feet and dusted her hands. She allowed the fire to burn back into her head, adrenaline coursing back through her veins.

"Because one dirt pattern was heavier," She looked down, pointed to the likely steel towed boots both of the guards were wearing. "I'm guessing those are standard issue and everyone has to wear them. The impression in the carpet showed the boots were heavier and there was more residue than the other pattern - meaning the tread on the footwear was likely wider, like on your boots. The foot pattern beside that one was an uneven walking pattern, which was probably the biggest give away-"

"Your mother has a limp," Shoto immediately picked up on. Kairi nodded with a smile.

"And then there was a smaller pattern beside them, matching that of one singular child. My guess is, my mom is carrying Oscar which is why there wasn't a fourth set. And the debris from the footprints was sitting on top of the carpet rather than having settled in, so it was incredibly recent. My guess is the guard convinced them to follow them out of the room and into there." Kairi pointed at the door they all now stood in front of. "I don't know why though. What's in there?"

"That's a stairwell that leads to the storage under the museum. It's basically a dark warehouse." Kairi's eyes flicked back to the AUTHORIZED PERSONNAL ONLY sign, and then she looked back over to the guards. Shoto stared, eyes wide in awe, as she patiently waited for one of the guards to move.

Guard two groaned, giving in before he even tried a failed attempt to tell them they were not allowed in storage. He removed a set of keys from his belt and cycled through them before finding the one necessary. Shoto still stared and it was beginning to twist her with discomfort.

"What?" she asked.

"What was that?" he whispered, voice breaking by the weight of his awe. "I didn't know you could do that?" Kairi blushed and tucked away her shy smile.

"I mean, I guess I didn't either? Or that is, I knew how to in theory but I never really had much of a chance to implement it."

"What do you mean, implement it?"

"Just... you know, between some of the more investigate practices they've been teaching us at school, tracking techniques being mentioned every now and then in adventuring fantasy stories and being the daughter of two detectives... I picked some things up, I guess. I just never really had a need to use it before, I guess."

"Kairi, you surprise me every day and every surprise reminds me you were made to be a hero." Brightly, she let her smile show this time. The guard twisted, pulled the key out of the lock, and opened the door.

Guard one went through the door first. Kairi and Shoto followed behind with the second guard coming behind them. The stairs were the standard industrial metal, age chipping away at the once blue paint on them. Fluorescent lighting flooded the steps. As they descended, an unpleasant hollow tapping echoed off the pale walls around them.

"Can you think of any reason why this... stalker... of yours could have a personal vendetta against you?" Guard two asked from behind them, the echoes of their feet on the steps piercingly loud in Kairi's ears. The noise seemed to shake the waves of nerves that threaded back into her. Fear challenged her adrenaline to a wrestling match, one winning out just before the other flipped. She swallowed, her throat feeling patchy and dry.

"I have no idea," she breathed. "I'm sure I've wronged people but I can't recall anyone that I would have hurt to this degree where they felt..." The unknown squeezed tightly in her chest. Her legs tensed and her gut clenched. Running was starting to hurt, but it was unclear if it was the action of running or the worry that was gripping her.

"Down here, on the bottom," guard one said, flipping out the keys again and working in record time to get the door open. She didn't wait for any of them to try and take the lead. The Emotive Iris powered legs with her own force of will, and sped on through. The floor was cold concrete, much like that of a warehouse. Outlines of metal shipping containers and large crates peeked through the darkness. The air nipped with a noticeable cold. Kairi blinked a few moments, her eyes starting to make out the shapes and the vague idea of the colors hiding in the dark.

"Can you see where they went now?" guard one asked hopefully. Kairi shrugged.

"I'm afraid that's where I can no longer impress you. Tracking on something that shifts, like carpet or grass is easy. I'm no use against flat flooring, in the dark. Doesn't hold an impression the same way."

"Well, I'm still impressed," Shoto mumbled quietly. The darkness thankfully hid the burning color in Kairi's cheeks.

"Why would they come here?" Two streams of light split the blackness that shrouded them, coming from beside them. The two guards beside them held out flashlights that traced shadows around them while they moved.

"What do you think?" Guard two asked of guard one. "We each walk with one of them and look through these aisles?"

"Are you mad?" guard two hissed just as Kairi blurted "That's a stupid idea."

"Don't split the party?" Shoto guessed. She nodded vehemently. Guard one instead walked around the other side of Kairi, the two young heroes in between the wall of security.

"Then we'll all take a look together. You said you have back up on the way?"

"We should," Shoto breathed. "Any minute, they should be here." He tapped against the phone still hiding in his pocket. It hadn't gone off once this entire time. By calculations, they should be arriving at the museum soon. He bit his lip and forced his shoulders to relax, trying not to fall prey to his own anxiety.

Together, the four of them stayed near each other. Kairi quickened her steps while her hyper-alert gaze pivoted around the darkened storage room. Letters and symbols were becoming more visible as their eyes fully adjusted to the softened darkness. Her heart sped, eager to jump and tackle the slightest movement in the dark. All her nerves pounded through her soul. Kairi swayed in her step, forcing back the adrenaline that shook her form. Angered desperation beat against her walls, ready to unleash. Balled fists swung at her sides as the slightest sound of spun her around.

"It was the fan," guard one whispered, directly his flashlight to a corner where a large industrial fan was sitting in the corner. "It's just blowing at some of the papers pressed to the cork board over there." Kairi spun at the slightest shuffle, nostrils flaring with rage.

"Is there a way out of here?" Shoto asked quietly. The first guard turned his flashlight back towards the part of the room farthest from them. A wide shipping truck stood in the way, but they could make out a heavy-duty garage door taking up most of the wall. A much slender, regular sized door hung off to the side of it.

"The truck is still here so they haven't left through that, and anyway we know when the garage door is being used. Shakes half the building," said guard two.

"But they might have left through the other door," Kairi grumbled with anger.

"Y-yes. They might have."

"Hold on," Shoto said, placing a hand against her shoulder - the gesture sizzled against her delicate nerves and she leapt away from him, knocking his hand aside. Shoto stood back, holding up his hands apologetically as Kairi relaxed her stance. "I'm sorry I didn't mean-"

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Kairi," he gently interrupted, offering a smile so tender it calmed the jitters flying through her. "I think we should take a look around first, all right?"

An argument stirred in her mind, one that was nestled in a boiling crucible and ready to leap. Stressed protests and yells of urgency hid on the tip of her lips. Her legs burned with a need to keep moving. Her body nagged her to keep on moving, gut pushing her along. Kairi pushed against her own feelings, taking in a heavy breath to cloud every part of her that was eager to jump ahead of her own thoughts. A time for logic, and a time for emotion, she shifted the balance in her mind. One more breath and the girl opened her eyes.

"Let's search the area first," guard two suggesting, moving his flashlight between a couple shipping containers. "Maybe your friends will show up soon and then we can send out a search party if we can't find them in here."

"Okay," Kairi breathed, surrendering against every part of her that was screaming to get a move on.

He had become familiar with the difference between Kairi's own emotions and what were his, and while Shoto could absolutely feel the tension, anger, and screaming worry that tangled Kairi in that moment, he also sensed some of his own. Knots wound around each other, becoming tighter in his stomach and his body stiffened the more he thought about the dangerous those kids were in. Child abductions were enough to make him sick; and then for those children to be the siblings of the girl he...

He stopped his thoughts, that final word slamming against his chest. The fuzzy vibration of his phone against his thought caused his hand to fly to it, checking its message. There was one, regarding details from Yuga for Kairi's birthday - he would get to that later. But then there was one was one from Aizawa, thank god. They were on their walk but their route to get to the museum needed to be routed. A large crash involving several cars occurred right along the main road that was a straight shot to the museum - and diverted some of the police attention they were going to get to the scene, but they shouldn't be too much longer. Shoto growled under his breath, frustration coiling in with everything else.

A pipe in the room whined, causing Kairi to rip away from Shoto's side and punch at the empty, dark air in front of her. She swore and grew warm with her embarrassment.

"Good reaction time," Shoto softly said, taking her clammy hand. "If there had been someone there, they would have been knocked cold."

"I know, I'm kind of a joke right now, aren't I?" she moaned.

"I wasn't making a joke," he said, looking at her with honest intent.

A scream, a child's cry ripped through the following silence and Kairi abandoned her partner's side upon it's immediate call.


	84. Boxed In

The young hero's feet thundered against the cement flooring as she fled in the direction of the cry. Two seconds after she had left his side, Shoto ran after her. The two guards hurried close behind, both of their flashlights scattering glares across the rows of storage containers hidden in the dark.

Sharp spindles dug deep into Kairi's sides, winding through her chest. With each desperate wail that echoed off the metal walls and between the crevices of each crate, her heart ripped itself apart. Bit by bit, her spirit bled in her anguish, deconstructing itself as fiery anger replaced every cell. Fire sped under her heels, while her brother's voice pulled her in each direction. She slid into her left turn, leaping over an abandoned mess of some unknown documentation that hadn't been properly put away. Hands flew in front of her to stop herself as she was met with a blockade of crates piled on top of each other, cutting off whatever path Oscar's voice had been taking her. Ferocious eyes dropped and shifted, scanning as quick as she could for her next route.

Shoto gripped Kairi's shoulder just as her swerved into her corner, stopping himself from slamming against her back. His entire chest throbbed, adrenaline and fear pulsing wildly through.

"Kairi-" he began, as he steadied himself beside her. The guards stopped just behind them both, their flashlights following over the crates Kairi examined. She narrowed her eyes, looking first at the wooden box in front of her, and the large metal storage container beyond them. The wails quieted, silence growing heavy. Aggressive fear wound its way back into her. Her core froze, despite the heat of her wrath that fueled her.

"No... no, no..." she whispered. Her throat burned with her words. Her tears tasted sticky and hot.

But a moment later came his cry, and her vigilance honed in on its direction, like a clear blip on her emotional radar.

The second she had pinpointed its source, she pressed a hand on the crate in front of her. She bore her weight into it and lifted herself off the ground. The wood of the crate groaned under her weight as she fell against it, but she kept on moving. Kairi flung herself, rolling in a somersault, towards the metal container in front of her. Fingertips caught the edge of the top of it, and she slowly heaved herself over it. She stood still for just a second as she scanned over the metal shelving that lined the wall in front of her. Filling the spaces of most of them were wooden crates, covered by the front. Kairi lost her focus for the smallest of seconds. In that short moment, her body burned with the aching of worry and her exertion. The Emotive Iris heaved in two short breaths before she allowed herself to look at one side of the shelving, then to the other. The wailing was louder now, and more desperate. Another voice seemed to follow it, one that was upset and desperate. Aspects of the warehouse - other sounds, other surroundings - left her attention as she fixated to the direction of the cries.

Kairi ran forward, and sprung herself onto the metal unit. She rolled in her land, wincing as her elbow first fell numb before a sharp pain stabbed through her forearm. She groaned and felt a small shiver in the metal as Shoto landed beside her.

"Are you okay?" she breathed quickly, though she kept her eyes on the wooden crate just two sections away from them.

"Fine," he groaned. "Don't worry about me just... find your siblings." Though the sound he emitted sounded slightly painful.

Kairi nodded and jumped to grip the edge of the crate. She winced slightly, feeling the prick of a sliver against her palm. A leg swung up to the edge and she was able to roll onto the top if the box. The bottom of the shelf just above her stopped just a few inches above her nose as she lay there. There would be no room for them to move as they would like up here - they would need to crawl.

Her body impatiently urged her to follow the cries of her brother, quickly becoming more upset. They had become so violent, it was almost as if they had split into two separate voices and overlapped the other. Her aches twisted and wound around the desperate fire she hungrily latched onto. Despite everything in her that wanted to reach her brother, a nagging within Kairi caused her to shift herself around and reach towards Shoto. He smirked, giving his thanks, before he took her hand. Using her as leverage. Shoto easily pulled himself into the small opening between crate and shelf. The two guards stood two storage units away, further below, one of them shaking his head with regret they didn't believe they would be able to pull themselves into such a small space.

Together, the two heroes moved their arms and elbows in front of them. They pulled themselves into an army crawl. The crying soon became piercing and Kairi stopped, staring at the crate they lay on top of. Her amber eyes widened with seething disgust, and she jerked her expression towards Shoto.

"It sounds like we're on top of them," he whispered.

"Literally," she mouthed. The boy flicked his gray and blue eyes at the box before raising his left hand. Instantly understanding, Kairi rolled herself into the wall. Shoto pressed his hand against the tip of the crate, spreading his fingers. Between them, ribbons of smoke rose. The odor of charring wood wafted in front of them. The wood creaked under his fingertips, moaning with sadness as they began to crack. Quiet swearing could be heard below them, just barely audible under the blood curdling cries. With a cracking splinter, the wood gave way and Shoto's hand fell into the hole he had burned into the crate. A yelp below them sounded beside the child's cries and Kairi scuttled back towards the hold. She rolled her fingers into a fist and slammed as hard as she could. The hole widened as pieces of the wood fell away. The girl swung her body around until her feet hovered just over the hole. Then, she leapt.

Kairi tumbled into the crate, falling right on top of the person who screamed when she did. Shoto dropped into the crate right after her just as Kairi got to her knees and took in the details of their surroundings. Many of the crates had been various sizes, but this particular one was about twelve feet in its length, six wide and eight feet tall. Large, but still too small to feel comfortable for them all to move in. Her eyes first found Oscar in the corner. Her body relaxed with the relief that he looked unharmed at the very least, but she hardened once more at seeing him bound in a long coil of rope, it's knot so tight it formed a ball the size of a large man's fist. Kairi's vengeful gaze shot to the person she had fallen on, the one who screamed - a woman, it had seemed. Fairly young too, not quite in her thirties. But Kairi didn't take the time to question or even take an opportunity to think about why a woman she had never met would want anything to do with her little brother. Without thinking, without taking even a second to strategize any sort of plan or what her priorities were, the Iris threw herself at the woman. Her fist collapsed into the side of the woman's head before she could even try to stand back up.

The woman's shriek came out more like a growl. Kairi knocked her onto her back, sitting across her waist as she slung another fist into her face. The woman snarled and held up an open hand. Ribbons seemed to fly from her fingertips before they thickened and wound together. Fibers from the material tightened before it cracked like a whip against Kairi's chest. The force launched her back. The wood paneling splintered under the weight of her hitting the back of the box. She fell to her side, her arm rippling with a slap of pain as she hit the bottom of the crate.

Fire burst from Shoto's palm, scorching the rope that fully formed from the woman's hand. She hissed as the flame licked her nail, and flailed to shake it out. Kairi took the moment of distraction to roll back onto her feet and barrel towards the woman. She slammed her against the other side of the box, hearing something in the woman pop disturbingly as she did. She cried out, clearly pained by whatever Kairi had done. The girl pressed her palms right against the shoulder joints, ensuring she would remain pinned against the wall.

"Where the _fuck_ do you get off taking my siblings like that?!" The question rolled from Kairi in a growl, emblazoned by her rage. "Where is my sister, what the hell have you done with my mother?" Though her face contorted with pain, the woman managed a nasty grin.

"Where do you get off ruining people's lives, bitch?!" she bit back. With impressive flexibility, the woman wrangled a leg away to puncture her foot against Kairi's stomach. The girl stumbled backwards, Shoto's leg stopping her from tumbling towards the back. Oscar's cries grew louder with terror as he wriggled in his tight bonds. One look at the toddler pushed tears to Kairi's eyes. Her arms shook with a need to hold him and keep him safe - but that couldn't happen til this woman, whoever she was, was dealt with.

Shoto reached to pull Kairi to her feet before he raised his right hand. A jolt of ice shot towards the woman, but she jumped aside. The ice spiked between the slats of the crate's front, splintering through the wooden boards.

"Oscar has to get out of here," Kairi mumbled out of the side of her mouth. "First and foremost before we kick her ass." Shoto glanced to the corner of the cowering child, and then looked up at the opening they had fallen through.

"Understood," he simply whispered. "You can trust me with him. This is a fight I know _you_ need to take." Her worried flooded away, her trust in Shoto so secure she didn't even have room for her nerves to shake.

The woman unleashed the ropes at her fingertips again just as Kairi raised her arm, ready to attack. The rope slapped against her wrist and the woman jerked the ropes to pull the girl close to her. Kairi slid against the ground, grimacing as the friction burned against her clothing, fraying a small hole in her shirt. She bit her lip trying to hold back a scream. Blood trickled into her mouth, causing her to cough as the woman stood over her and held her down.

"Who the hell are you? And what do you _want_ from me? Were you the guard?"

But the woman didn't seem interested in Kairi's questions. She looked up and over to the corner where Oscar sat, bundled in a coil of ropes. She snarled and lifted one hand while the other held Kairi down. She pointed her fingers, small fibers flying from their tips. However, unlike before, they didn't thicken and form. They paused their growth and fell limp against the woman's hand. She gasped and strained her reach but the fibers stopped their growth. They lay against her hand, sad and pathetic.

"Shit..!" she scowled, raising her other hand to try. But nothing emerged from her fingers except lint. Kairi scuttled away from the woman, now free of her hold.

With the woman's failed attack, Shoto picked up Oscar as soon as he could. The child still cried and it was impossible for a part of Shoto to not soften with guilt and worry. The wails and tears seemed to have a strange power of their own, like they were physically able to reach into him and pull at the tendons surrounding his heart. He clutched the child to him tightly and decided to trust Kairi - she was a great hero and had grown to be so strong. She could easily take down a woman with a worn out rope quirk without much damage to her person. Sealing his belief that she would be fine and wasn't in need of his help, Shoto hugged Oscar close. He held his hand out in front of them, positioning it just between his stance. He blasted a short burst of ice, a pedestal growing just tall enough so Shoto could reach the opening. The boy grabbed the charred edge of the hole and tucked Oscar into himself as he rolled out onto the top.

"Okay, buddy..." he whispered, and the gentle tone of his voice seemed to soften the child's cries. "We're going to get you to the guards." A hand flew to his back jean pocket. He groaned at the sight of no new messages on his phone, before glancing at the corner of screen. No bars. No reception. Which also meant Eraserhead and the others were going to have no way of tracking them. He swore quietly.

Shoto crawled awkwardly, one hand holding the child close to him. Guard one ran towards the edge of the crates, reaching for the child as Shoto crawled closer to the edge. Oscar rolled from Shoto's arms into the guards, and the boy hero rolled himself off the crate.

"We need to search the containers in this place," Shoto panted, pulling himself into a kneeling position. "The Iris is still missing her mother and her sister."

"Who is she fighting in there? Is that her stalker?"

"My guess is no," Shoto said. "Considering that I can remember the woman and her face. I can't recall the other guy. If they were a male... I can't even recall now. I assume there's at least another and they have her mother and sister captive. If he was being held in one of these containers then I would I guess the others are too. Eraserhead and our colleagues are on their way to the museum, but they have no way to track us within its walls. Our cell phones don't work here."

"We can radio the other guards," Guard two said, but guard one shook his head.

"That might not be a good idea. If the original person we're tracking is dressed as a guard as we think, they might be wearing a radio too," guard one said.

"They'll find us," guard two assured. "There are others up there who know something is up. They'll be able to direct your friends down here. Given the protocol. they'll be evacuating the museum." Shoto's gut tightened.

"But we may need to fight alone down here a few extra minutes."

"Is the Iris going to be okay up there?" Shoto smirked, pride filling his chest with warmth.

"She's the Iris," he chuckled, as if that were answer enough. "She's powered by her own emotions. Threaten her baby brother? Be it by the sharpness of her words, the quickness of her fists, or the explosion of her emotions, that woman doesn't stand a chance." Worry batted at his heart lightly. As strong as his faith in her was, it was impossible to not let concern root in him.

Free of any concern for Oscar, and with a little more space to move around in the container, Kairi let the dams of her emotions burst. Her anger flared violently as she rolled the woman against the floor. She resisted against the holds Kairi had on her wrists. She also held Kairi pinned between her thighs, bearing her weight into her to keep her from rising up.

"What is it that you _want?_ Did you take those pictures of me?!" Kairi hissed, straining to fight back against the woman who kept trying to swipe a punch.

"You really are a dumbass, aren't you?" the woman laughed, gritting her teeth as Kairi began to wriggled her way out of her hold. "You haven't figured it out?"

"How the hell would I figure out?! Do you have some sick obsession with me or something?"

"Oh god, please don't make me throw up! Obsessed with you? No, no, no, no... wait... oh my god, are you seriously so self-centered that you thought this was about you being adored and loved?" The woman's laughs crushed her and she released her grip enough that Kairi was finally free to break from her. She rolled out from her and pushed all her strength into her arms. Kairi flipped her over and held her by her neck against the floor - not enough to suffocate her, but enough to keep her still as she also lay against her stomach. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Hoshino, but none of my boyfriend's pictures were a result of infatuation or desire to be close to you."

"Your boyfriend...?" Kairi hissed. Her gaze flicked to the front of the crate for just a second - but it was enough of a distraction for her opponent to wrangle her arm away from her neck. A burn tightened up Kairi's arm and she looked down to see the woman's fingers twisting round her skin. She balled her fist to strike her before she could get another blow in, but Kairi was just a millisecond too slow. The woman raised her leg, the sharpness of her heavy boot slamming into the crux of Kairi's side. Her body buckled when the impact shredded through her. Gravity tugged against her, and Kairi flew into the side of the container. A crack splintered against the crate when she fumbled to the bottom. The young girl rolled onto her back, daring to take a quick second to let the exploding pain subside, even slightly. However, her foe wasn't ready to give her a break. She stood over the young hero with a playful grin cutting through her bright pink lips. Kairi swiveled her body, moving just out of the way of the woman's hefty kick. Her boots were so heavy duty, Kairi couldn't imagine they were a fashion statement. However, they attacked the already weakened side of the container and punctured a hole right into the wood paneling. Her gaze followed the several lines that cracked through the wood. It wouldn't take much now to break open the container, an observation Kairi was counting on.

She flexed her fingers and released a little of the anger that brewed inside her. Her attention switched from the busted side, to the blonde woman in front of her. Kairi shook loose her swirling feelings of wrath and channeled everything she had onto her next move. If she could get them out of this container, then maybe she could get some help.

"The photographs were nothing more than something to stress you out," the woman cackled with delight. "The more attention you received from the media, the more you became transparent. And not in the usual way, either!"

"What do you mean by that?" Kairi asked lowly, keeping her concentration as she built up the will and determination, while keeping her distracted.

"Uh, you're a real fuckin' idiot, huh?" she giggled in a sickly, grating way. "The more attention you received, the more you retreated. It didn't take a genius to know that the attention wound you up and stressed you out. But you are easily stressed aren't you?" She winked. Kairi burned with loathing. "Ah, well anyway, we figured to play the long game as boring as it was. Media attention burned you out alone but then suddenly oh! Would you look at that? Someone is creeping into private areas of your life and publishing for everyone to see! Yes, that would _absolutely_ stress you out. You'd burn out, you'd get so worked up, you'd find out someone was following you and you eventually would figure out that being a hero wasn't everything you thought it would be, is it? There's so much attention on you, and well, that just doesn't work for you, does it? You'd have a meltdown, say you couldn't do it anymore and you'd hang up the cape!"

"You _wanted_ to stress me out _so much_ that you believed I would quit becoming a hero?!" Kairi snarled. Her body shook and slowly she lost grip of the calm she was trying to locate. Managing logic and emotion wasn't going to be easy in moments like this were they? She quaked with the anger buzzing through her system. "Why the hell did I ever do to you? I have no idea who you even are!"

"Because you ruined my boyfriend's life! Sure, your friends were involved but everyone knows the entire operation was orchestrated by you!" Her pitchy voice was beginning to grate against Kairi's soul, and she launched herself towards the woman. She dropped everything from her mind and just fled, catching her shoulder against the woman's neck. The woman fell against the splintered boards and they crushed under the weight of the two of them. The paneling snapped and opened to the darkened air. The woman screamed, and the two of them were wedged against the side of the neighboring crate. The Emotive Iris wasn't ready to stop her fight. She elbowed the woman away from her, nudging her closer towards the edge. In the moment it took to grip the woman's wrist and raise a kick, she looked over the edge to see the top of crate waiting for them. Judging the distance to be safe with only minor injuries to follow, Kairi pressed her heel against her chest and the woman stumbled over to the top of the shipping container.


	85. Distortions Clearing the Mind

Shoto watched the crate bust open and Kairi kick the woman out of the gap between the crates. Her yelp caused Oscar to start crying again, and the guard holding him tried to softly quiet him.

"Come on Eraserhead!" he whispered to himself, checking his phone again to see there was still no service.

Meanwhile, Kairi leapt to the container the woman still lay on. She coughed and moved slowly, indicating she experienced some slight pain from the fall. The Iris landed flat, ignoring the stabbing strike that the fall sent through the balls of her feet, and snatched a hold of the woman's collar. Within the hero's spirit, anger coiled with her seed of worry as she considered the continued absence of her mother and especially her sister. They were still unaccounted for and who knows what had happened to them. They hadn't made any noise like Oscar did. She gulped. The shuddering fear ignited, trying to overcome the fire that fed her fury.

"Where. Is. My. Sister?" It was possible it was her own worry hidden under her wrath, but there was a quiet flicker of fear in the woman's eyes. Or maybe it was just how she appeared - even in the dark, Kairi commanded the area. She stood tall with intimidation. The amber in her eyes glowed with an immobile intensity. Her posture stiffened, imposing a sense of force. Was it her quirk? Or had The Emotive Iris grown into her hero form?

Then the woman shook under her hold, intimidated by the hero in front of her that was smaller than her in every sense. She had created a sense that was bigger than herself and now her foe lay there, terrified about what this young hero could do. The fear weakened her in that second, and her gaze betrayed her. In the quickest of gazes, her pupils shifted up to the right before she started at Kairi again, trembling in her hold. That was the only information the hero needed.

"Shoto!" Kairi called, and her partner waiting below ran towards the edge of the stack of crates. With a wave of his hand, he produced a sharp angle of ice, shooting towards them. Kairi took the woman by the waist and kept her close as she carried them both down Shoto's creation. Kairi pushed the woman into guard two. With a quick and well-rehearsed action, he snapped a pair of handcuffs around the woman.

"If your siblings weren't such brats I wouldn't have had to use so much of my quirk to tie them up," she spat. Kairi rolled her eyes.

"You could just, you know... not kidnap children?" Kairi scoffed, but didn't waste her time using witty retorts. She pulled against Shoto's elbow, urging him forward. "Southeastern corner, this way!"

"She told you that?" he asked, following her as the two of them waved between the maze of storage units.

"I scared her," she said. "And in her moment of fear, her gaze gave away the location."

"Why did they even abduct them?"

"I... still don't know yet. Apparently her boyfriend is the one who's been photographing me and following me."

"So the stalking wasn't driven by feelings of infatuation?"

"She says it wasn't. She said it was all to make me feel uncomfortable to stress me out, break down, so I'd realize how much work it is to be a hero, to crumble under my anxiety, realize that someone like me struggles too much mentally to ever be cut out for this kind of work."

"That's ridiculous," he said. His cheeks heated though the darkness thankfully hid the pink. "You've struggled, but I can't imagine anyone else else being better suited for this work than you. You're already an amazing hero."

"So is this going to be a regular thing then?" she smirked. "The two of us, running into the face of danger, while you continue to flirt with me unapologetically?"

"Only so long as you let me." She gave him a smile and then gestured towards a crate closed to them. Shoto launched a small ice attack, just enough to break open the front, and then melted away the glass spike with his other hand. Kairi peered in, using the light of his small flame to illuminate the area. The crate was filled with an assorted of fabric, but no one was inside.

"Next one!" Kairi called, and Shoto performed the same action with the next crate. Once more, nothing more but several cardboard boxes.

"Why get your siblings involved?"

"They saw an opportunity to stress me out more? Show me how dangerous it is for the loved ones of superheroes? I have no idea, I wasn't about to let her speak anymore. She was really starting to piss me-"

Fragments of wood and particles of paneling erupted and clattered against the flooring. Automatically Shoto flew a hand in front of Kairi, shielding her from the small debris that flew from the next crate over. The front of the crate beside them fell to the ground, and from its darkness emerged a stocky and well built man. He was several years older than the woman, at least ten, and looked annoyed. In his arms, he was clutching Vivian in a very uncomfortable position. The same rope that Oscar had also wound around her, the same complicated knot hanging off her back to prevent any possible chance of it coming undone. Unlock Oscar however, the rope also wound around her mouth, preventing her from speaking. Her eyes held fear, but flashed with excited hope at the sight of Shoto and Kairi in front of her.

"Speaking of people who are starting to piss others off!" the man said, his accent sounding slightly German.

"Vivian!" Kairi screamed. Her chest leapt at the sight of her sister, wriggling in the man's tight hold.

"You're the boyfriend?" Shoto said calmly.

"Pff," he said with disgust. "Like I'd ever fuck that chick." Shoto wrinkled his nose, shifting uncomfortable in his stance at the man's phrase.

"It's okay, he's the bad guy, you don't need to waste your breath on how to properly speak about women, he's going to jail anyway," Kairi quickly whispered. Even so, her heart briefly leapt at how he was visibly ready to call the man out for his demeaning turn of phrase.

"MMerrfer!" Vivian mumbled, the binding of rope preventing any coherent speech. Kairi's spirit hardened.

"So, you think you can get me with a few icicles and a couple of embers?" the man spat, twisting his grip around Vivian as she struggled angrily. Kairi's nostrils flared as she stepped forward. "And you? Are you going to make yourself scared in order to make me scared? I promise you, your attempts will be futile."

"I'm not scared I'm _fucking PISSED_!" Kairi screamed, then quickly darted her gaze to Vivian, who just continue to look terrified.

"She can't understand Japanese, she doesn't know you swore..." Shoto reminded under his breath.

"Right! Er..."

"No matter. Whatever you're feeling, it's no match for me..." The hero flung herself forward, but her ankles rolled under her weight. The cement ground seemed to pull itself from under her and gravity seemed to lighten. The vision before her - this criminal, clutching tight to her sister - it swayed as if it were liquid form. Density slipped away from her center, growing into vapor and swirling around herself. Anxiety pumped into her veins as she tried to make sense of the way her body swirled and spiraled with the reality around her. She didn't feel attached or grounded to anything real. It was as if she had become one among the air, and floated on the atmosphere. First, she felt behind herself, then in front of herself. An exponent of panic tortured her veins and her mind as she tried to piece together how she was feeling, but nothing made sense.

"Shoto?" she called out, but she couldn't be sure she even said his name right. It sounded wrong, like a word you said so much it lost its meaning and was no longer a word. As she tried to speak again, it just came out like a foreign language she wasn't sure she spoke. That didn't make sense because to her knowledge she knew Japanese, English, several words in Cantonese, one or two words in Korean and the standard academic course of Latin. Then she tried to speak again, and her voice disappeared. The air grew thick and then thinned out again. It was as if she struggled for air just to resurface and immediately lose her source of oxygen once more. Fear pulsed in her strongly and she sought out her feet again, sinking sideways into the dizzy goop that had becoming the room. The entire room had become something out of a painting from the Surrealism movement. Solid became liquid and particles shifted to create new objects and forms that lacked any form of logic. _Logic, not emotion_! she yelled at herself. But how could she find logic when the world didn't even fit into it?

There was some sort of strained warbling, and Kairi swam towards it, whatever it was. She could no longer see the man or her sister, they had vanished among the manipulation scenery she found herself in. When the Iris reached, her hand stretched and bent into the scenery. Her nerves pattered to cling to the desperation forming in her gut. Panic powered her desire to leave, to get out of this wretched hell. What was happening? Where were they?

What was she even doing her? The darkened colors and strange sounds wound into her mind and every reason she had for being in this moment seemed to blur. Something about her family? Who was she even here with? Anyone? All she could see around her was the endless cycle of the scariest and lack luster kaleidoscopes she had ever seen. Pressure hammered against her chest until she surrendered to its weight. Kairi fell into the unstable grounding, feeling the rippling and widening underneath it. It didn't do anything to help the tension that was pulling through her soul, but something in her hoped to find any sort of sense as she tried to watch the darkened movements bleeding into each other overhead. As the ground fumbled under her back, she counted her breaths. She needed to find the sense, though it was unclear what this sense was. What could she feel? The ground. That was real. If nothing else, the ground was real. As much as it looked to snake under her, she could feel it firmly under her back. That was something. That was something she could hang onto. The cold air against her face, that was real too. And that made sense. But what were those long stretched sounds? What was making the noise? Was someone speaking? Who was speaking? What was the purpose she had come here for? Why did she suddenly find herself into a kind of gothic Picasso after it had merged with a radioactive Dali? Was there even a reason for her being here? Of was she just meant to lay here and let herself be overwhelmed under her fear took her? It seemed the only thing to do... Her heart blurred with any sense of answer for the tidal wave of questions she gave herself. What purpose was there... did anything even matter? What was the point of being here?

Shoto watched Kairi take one step, her fists clenched at her sides as her anger flung her in the direction of the man who had taken her sister. But one step was all she could take when she finally stopped. His heart skipped as he saw her pupils dilate before her body froze in place. He called out to her, and she seemed to twitch like she acknowledged his presence. In the next moment however, her arms fell to her sides. She swayed loosely as if some force was pushing her around. Veins thrummed violently through his sense as she watched her movements. Her body flailed as if she were made of rags but her focus seemed elsewhere. Having become so trained to read her body movements, he watched her fingers twitch, spotted the line of perspiration around her forehead; her chest rose in short, quick bursts and she held her shoulders stiff. Jaw, held tight. All signs Kairi often showed when she was having a panic attack - but they had all become few and far between lately. Of course, a situation of this caliber would have been enough to through her into one, but not when the life of her family was on the line. Not when her determination was so vigorous just moments before that anger had burned away every part of her that was trying to tell her to freeze or run. It didn't fit with the pattern she had recently developed, nor did it make sense for it to become so instantaneous. Something happened; something having to do with this man's quirk.

And it was confirmed by his low, vile laugh as he held her in a strange trance. Shoto bolted towards Kairi to catch her as she stumbled her own feet. He caught just under her arms and helped to lower her into his lap when he felt her body bearing down into the ground. She said something, but it made no sense - warbled kind of gibberish, not too far from what a child may say when they couldn't quite speak.

"Her mind is lost now!" the man growled. "Let's see her get out of that without feeling scared and terrified."

"What did you do to her?" Shoto snarled, readying a ball of fire in his palm. His free hand rested against Kairi's shoulder. His heart clenched with the hope she could feel him beside her.

"Everyone has different reactions, I suppose. My guess for Hoshino was right - I guessed the intensity of my Mind Distortion would make her feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. The change of her sense would cause her anxiety to kick in and she would be rendered useless. I suppose my quirk really isn't that much different than say... a high you get from certain drugs. Just as some people have bad trips and good trips, it depends on the person. The Emotive Iris, it seems, is having a very bad trip. Shame I can't use it on more than one person at a time." Kairi gasped, as if she was trying to breathe. Her eyes still couldn't seem to locate any one thing in front of her.

Heat ground into Shoto's spirit. He took care in letting her head gently fall to the ground as he stepped back to his feet. The boy held out both his hands, brandished both ice fingertips on one and dancing flames on the either. He lowered his gaze. Wrath combusted through him. Passion raged through his heart, fury beckoning him forward. Kairi was physical fine - but attacking her in anyway emotionally or mentally was just as bad, if not worse. And those who wished to do her harm of any kind, or to her young family members for that manner, were not going to walk away from Shoto Todoroki without experiencing some kind of upset.

"You think this is going to ruin her?" he laughed, watching the flame on his hand slowly grow larger and the ice spike steadily increase in size. "You obviously haven't done a very good job of stalking her if you believe this will keep her down. Things that seem like day to day adventures to you and me can feel like Herculean efforts to Kairi. And yet, she still powers through them with a smile on her face. She still takes on each task with her focus for others rather than the discomfort it causes in herself. And still, she continues on. She doesn't reach just the bare minimum of what she believes society expects of her, even though that's hard enough as it is. She pursues even _further_, going beyond to mold herself into a real hero. One who puts her own fears and worries behind her in order to focus on those who need to be saved. She still knows those worries are there, and they won't disappear. She never denies that, never hides that. But it's that ability to push herself that will prevent this little trick of yours from happening, don't you get that?" The man cocked a brow, still confused. "A day to day task is like trying to trek over a mountain to her. And yet when it comes to those she really loves, she will _still_ trek what would be a mountain to the average person in order to save someone. You clearly misunderstand the strength of her mind and the might of her soul if you think your pathetic quirk will hold her. And one of those traits from The Iris alone is stronger than the most muscled hero. You have no idea the woman you've just angered, do you?"

Somehow, something in Shoto's speech concerned the man. He looked down for just a moment, appearing pensive. As he did, Kairi made a small sound.

The world was lost in a spiral of confusion and disarray, but yet something in it felt familiar. There was a reason she was here, something that mattered to here. Something felt so important and the strange fluttering and pull of her heart insisted she pay attention. Urgency shook and her and something in her soul filled with humble pride. Whatever that strange warbling was, it sounded fierce and powerful. Like someone really believed in what they were saying. Something about it's flow and cadence tugged at Kairi and she leaned her ear to it. Its tone was low and smooth. The currents in her veins swam with jubilence. It made her feel good and warm, but she couldn't place why. What was going? She must have come here for a reason. She wouldn't have been here if it wasn't important.

A mantra rang out in the back of her mind. A reminder to listen to her emotions, they were her compass, her guidance. This was the time to follow her emotions and let them guide her. She didn't know why those words rang so strongly, but they felt true. Surrendered to her emotions, fear took her first and blanketed her with frozen chills. Inside, underneath the rising panic, was also a soothing warmth. Captivated by its tenderness, she clung to the warmth and tried to recall what it was that caused such an emotion. Closeness, joy, laughter; and they flooded deep into her center. She followed further, searching for the source of such an emotion. Sources. One that plunged so much deeper than the others. They flooded joy and delight into her, and the urge to pull such things close to herself only grew. What would cause such an emotion? Who could matter so much that she would want them so close? What was so important.

_Sister_. The word burst from her mind so suddenly she gasped. The swirling atmosphere stilled and began to spiral back into something slightly familiar.

_Brother_. The next rushed back into her, and she felt to start to make out faces around her. The waves around her began to straightened and she recalled - boxes. Crates. Storage items. Why where they so familiar? She had been here earlier, right? She needed to be here. It was vital she be here, she needed to do something. It was important.

_Hero_. The next word flashed across her mind and resurrected the forgotten purpose. Yes, of course! That was everything she wanted to be. That was a part of who she was, and it's what she was meant to be. A warehouse fell into her view, looking just slightly underwater. The flooring around her stilled and she felt familiarly drawn to a couple of the faces in the darkness that fell over her.

_Partner_. Shoto's voice came into her now crystal clear view. Yes. Yes of course. She was fighting alongside him, working with him. He had come with her to help her family. and now to save her siblings. He hadn't abandoned her and stayed beside her, his hands both dangerous weapons as he displayed his elements of power before their enemy. That was right - this man had her sister, and he was leaving this building with.

Her vision had restored everything to the way it was and all came flooding back into it. How could she have forgotten all of that in moments? How had she just vanished away? But now it all snapped back into place and she was bending her knees, rolling to her side.

The flames on Shoto's hands vanished and he dropped his ice lance when his chest ruptured at Kairi's sight. She rolled onto her side and placed a hand in front of her to steady herself. He darted towards her as she wobbled to her feet but she extended her own hand to stop him. Her eyes held a strength that exuded more confidence than Shoto could ever remembering feeling himself. He gulped, intimidated himself by Kairi's seemingly new form.

"I've already tortured my mind so much myself," she snarled, readying her stance. "Do you really think your pathetic quirk can do much more damage?"

The man blinked, his balance briefly thrown from how she was able to snap from his mind scramble.

"How... did...?"

"Emotions are a more powerful weapon than anyone seems to think - overlooked, underrated, and underestimated. By the way, congratulations. No one in their right has angered me to the point that I've been able to use that to cloud all the anxiety coursing through my veins and hone in that emotion to power myself. Also, you've really broken any part of me that would care about what happens to you."

Shoto shivered, both terrified and a little awestruck by her own words. He proudly grinned, giving the man before them a challenging look. "Wow, that's rather impressive, actually," he said. "You have no idea just what kind of powerful weapon you've created."

Just before Kairi made a move to strike, the sound of fervent clapping erupted through the dim lighting around them. The distraction was so piercing, all heads turned to follow the amused applause.

A man, wearing a guard's uniform and wearing a professional camera strapped around his neck, stretched a glinting smile in the darkness.


	86. Missing Pieces

**I hope you are all being safe during this scary time. Love you**

* * *

The two of them broke their focus on their current opponent to turn and observe the newcomer. Before them stood a man around thirty, standing proud and so sure of himself as he finished his slow applause. An amused grin carved into the dimples on his cheeks and a strange malicious charm flashed in his dusty green eyes. His appearance both soothed Kairi and stirred up a wild fire rushing through her veins. While not the largest nor the traditionally most intimidating person in the room - honestly, Shoto, despite being as young as he was, could probably easy take this man in hand to hand combat - something about the motion he carried himself stopped the rest of the room in their steps.

"You truly have turned into something quite remarkable, haven't you Kairi?" he said when they have finally given them their stunned attention. "Honestly when I first started watching you in January, you still seemed so far from what a hero needed to be. Now look at you. Why, I may just shed a tear watching you myself."

"Did you say _January?_" Shoto shouted, choking a growl that rolled out.

"Oh come, come, Todoroki it wasn't like I was watching her shower or doing anything obscene. I'm twice her age, and I'm not some perverted delinquent. I apologize if that saddens you Kairi, but I have no romantic affection for you." He closed his eyes and pursed his lips, almost like he was trying to dispel some disturbing image.

"Oh yes, because there's nothing obscene about platonic stalking!" Shoto snapped. He was already beginning to raise his right hand. The man before them made no motion to have heard Shoto.

"My affections have already been lent elsewhere, which by the way... I am going to want my darling Ena back. I only enjoy her being in handcuffs when _I_ am the one putting her in them." He chuckled, looking smug by his remark. Kairi's eyes popped as she looked at the ground. Shoto turned his face away from Kairi, despite the lighting being too dim in the area for her to notice the color in his cheeks.

"I wish I could say a prison would put you two lovers together but sadly you may have to maintain a long-distance relationship," Kairi quipped. "Don't worry though, in the digital age they're easier to maintain."

"What do you want me to do with this one, boss?" said the man who still held small Vivian. The man before him raised a hand, a sign to wait.

"One moment, Genya. I think it's fair these children know what's happening and why before we make any movements. You'll have to hang onto the girl a bit longer," the man said. Slowly, he walked towards them. Kairi spread her stance to hold a better position. A threatening flame rolled around Shoto's hand. Vivian's quiet whimpers clenched Kairi worryingly, but continued to pedal her aggressive shock waves. "Yes, to answer your initial question - I _have_ been following you since January. Considering you put me, Ena, and Genya in jail for about thirty days, I thought it was only fair I see how things were going for the person who put me there." He flashed Kairi a knowing grin. Her mind flickered with confusion as she searched for his meaning.

"I don't... put you in jail? I have no idea who you are."

"Oh right, I forgot! Of course you don't, silly me!" he practically cooed, faking a clueless expression. "That's because you never saw me. In fact, I wasn't even working that day, but it wasn't like you had any regard for the rest of the employees at QuirKey or even the ones who _were_ working there, did you? No, you simply were only thinking of yourself and the glory it would restore to you!" Kairi's mouth fell open at his admission. All of this traced back to QuirKey? This was a part of some revenge brought on by QuirKey employees?

"That isn't true!" Kairi said, desperation forming in her eyes. "Everything I did was because QuirKey's methods were unethical and malpractice! I went in to stop everything as soon as possible! QuirKey was breaching consent by their way of obtaining DNA and they were circumnavigating the scientific method! Kurisu was also willing to look over certain steps and protocols in order to achieve his results-"

"Kurisu believed in any means necessary in order to ensure a patient's well being and satisfaction!" the man spat. "He had a vision, a goal for the eventual good of mankind. Of course it wasn't easy, and of course there would be some difficult obstacles along the way. In a perfect world there would be no messes and everything would work perfectly. But the world isn't perfect, is it Kairi?"

"She's the Emotive Iris-" Shoto began, but the man ignored him.

"You may be heroes in training, but you're still teenagers. You still believe the world is hopeful and everything is just grand, but it isn't! Kurisu was... how to put in nerd terms? Chaotic good?"

"Cut the shit, okay?" Kairi said aggressively. "You can't apply game mechanisms to real life! I don't care if Kurisu was working to cure cancer! You can't take shortcuts when you're dealing with the health and well-being of others, and you can't forsake one person's freedom for another's. Science and medical practices have an order and strict guidelines for several reasons. QuirKey and Kurisu committed several counts of malpractice and broke several laws in order to achieve his vision. Ultimately, it was a selfish act even if he believed it to be good." The man's eyes flared as she accused Kurisu.

"You know _nothing_ about that man. You have no idea who he was personally. Do you have any idea what putting him behind bars did to his family? To his wife?" Guilt tightened around Kairi for a moment. Her stomach tousled as his words stung her. "Do you know that after I graduated college, I first started working for QuirKey as a receptionist. And even then when I hurt myself on my motorbike and had trouble taking care of myself and couldn't get around, he was there to help with everything? Do you know that when Genya's brother died, he ran a fundraiser to help with all the finances and half of the money was his own? When Ena's dog ran away, he ordered his coworkers to run out there and find him and they looked for two days before he was found? I have _never _seen such great compassion in any other person. But change never happens fast enough, and it never happens without people being hurt. It killed Kurisu to have to resort some of the methods he did - I caught him crying more than once over some of them. But he felt, for the progression of science and the eventual good of all, he had to."

"If that man were so compassionate, than why did he hire so many people to help him run his operation?" Shoto snapped back. "Why did he build an entire facility full of people who were committing crimes and violating medical codes of conduct? Didn't he realize that eventually someone may figure out his schemes and put all of them in jail?" The man dropped his shoulders, nodding along with Shoto's words. He walked slowly in his direction, appearing grieved by the questions.

"You are correct on that. When you two lovers decided to break into the building-"

"We were let in."

"You made sure every single employee was given the chance to go to jail. Depending on our position and involvement in Kurisu's methods, and our knowledge of what was happening, some of us received probation. Some were in jail for less than a week. The more knowledge we had about what Kurisu was up to, the harsher sentence we received."

"Kurisu was given twenty years for his actions, and could possibly face more once they finish going through the records of everything he's been involved in," Kairi added. "You said you were only in jail for thirty days. You couldn't have known that much."

"No, of course not. I was just beginning my training there. I suspected that Kurisu had to be making some shortcuts but I questioned if it really mattered if in the end he made people's lives better. Ena worked in billing and Genya was on the cleaning crew. I was educated while I was in prison on exactly everything Kurisu was involved but even then I decided I didn't care. Especially when the person responsible for throwing him in prison did so as a result of her own selfish deeds." His gaze went back to Kairi, who momentarily twitched at his cold expression.

A defensive lurch pushed into Shoto's chest.

"You clearly have no idea what compassion is," he said. "The Emotive Iris did it for the sake of others."

"Did she now? Because from where I stand it looks like she ignored protocol and skipped a few steps for, what she claims to be "the good of all". Well now... that's funny. That sounds exactly what you claim Kurisu did." Mockingly, he stroked the bit of hair on his chin. "And yet he's the one in prison and you're the hero. Isn't that interesting?"

"I made a mistake!" Kairi yelled. "I'm still in school! I'm training! I'm a teenager! I'm almost sixteen years old! I also didn't rely on others to talk me down from my actions! Kurisu has been a doctor for years and is supposed to be an expert! He worked with a team of experts every day who should have stepped forward and told him what he was doing was wrong!"

"But you still wanted to prove yourself right? You want to be a hero?"

"In part, I wanted to show I had what it takes to become one."

"So you did it for glory, for attention... now, doesn't that sound like your mother?" With the flick of his snarl, Shoto launched a wave of fire in his direction. The man before them leapt narrowly out of the way, throwing his head back while he laughed. "Oh, look at prince charming here, jumping to his princess' defense! You truly are a match made in heaven." Kairi rolled her fingers into her fists as he continued to speak. "You know, there was a part of me that actually felt pleased when I began to track you and realized that you had finally become an item. At first it was a little exhausting when your feelings for each other were clear but you weren't sure how to define yourselves. I cheered a little when I finally had it confirmed you were a couple."

"We never confirmed that to the press!" Kairi called.

"You never have, but where do you think some of the more telling pictures came from anyway? Oh, but you already figured that didn't you. You should really thanking me for being so kind. I have more damning evidence. I could have easily submitted pictures from when that day at the mall."

Shoto's heart plummeted into a pile of icy thorns and he could tell Kairi felt the same.

"What day?" Kairi asked quickly. already dreading the answer.

"Oh, you know... around the beginning of February when Shoto took you to the office supply store to pick up a things you forgot for a school project... except the two of you got distracted by each other's lips and were a half hour late in meeting up with the others.

She could feel her blush radiating into her gut. "There's no way! We were behind that large plant in the back and it's not like anything bad was happening! We were just kissing!"

"Ah, yes, but the angle I took the picture it looks like much more than kissing," he laughed. "My gracious heart took pity and decided to not submit it."

"Nobody was around!"

"Oh, they weren't?" he said. "Are you really certain about that, Kairi?"

"She is the Emotive Iris!" Shoto bellowed.

"I'm done with this villain monologue stereotype," Kairi said.

"That makes two of us!" Shoto positioned his arm forward and a blast of flames fanned over the area in front of them. The warehouse glowed from the heat that danced in front of them. Vivian screamed from the terror of it, though her bonds kept it muffled. Kairi surged forward, cutting around the path of the flame and pounding her feet against the warehouse cement. Her blood pumped furiously, pushing her forward. She needed to keep on going and follow their villain. Her sister needed to be saved and she needed to locate her mother, wherever she was. Part of her want to command Shoto to find her. He would do it, and knew it. He would follow her command, especially in this situation. It was personal and somehow, unspoken, the two of them just seemed to agree she was in charge of it. He may have been more physically powerful than she, but her anger was almost triple what he was experiencing. Where were Aizawa and the others? Shouldn't they have arrived a long time ago?

Then she paused, taking a moment to breathe. She looked back, seeing Shoto slowing his run as she caught up with her. The line of fire behind them had burned out and Vivian remained in that man's arms... Ge... something. He had a name, right? Didn't he just say it? Or someone did. Somehow they heard something about his name.

"Kairi..." Shoto slowly began, looking across the scene. "Did you..." But as he began his sentence, she could faintly see him blink quickly while he searched for the rest of it. "What were we doing again?"

"We were chasing..." But then she looked forward and it occurred to her she wasn't sure what they were chasing. "We were trying... didn't we want to stop...?"

"Were we talking to someone?"

"Well..." Kairi looked back at the man with her sister. "I mean we talked to him, right? What was his name?"

"I don't think he gave it..."

"Right..." Kairi agreed. It felt like the right answer, but something in her said it was incorrect. "If we were chasing him, why are we over here?"

"Uh..." Shoto spun around, looking. "I... don't know."

Something felt off, like a piece of the puzzle was missing, and it seemed to be all apart of whatever master plan was happening. Frustration brewed in her and she focused it into her fist, slamming it into the closest crate she could see.


	87. Vivid Visions

A rumbling disturbance reluctantly settled to the bottom of her gut. Shoto tugged on her arm, urging her back to where they had come from, but she couldn't rid the nagging sensation. There was no reason she would have chased absolutely nothing, right? But the both of them had run this way for a reason.

"What about the other guy?" Kairi asked, skidding in mid turn as Shoto swiveled her back around. "The man who has my sister, he said he's not with that woman. So there's got to be another one, right?"

"I'm sure we'll find him, and soon," Shoto said. "Chances are he has your mom. I hope you don't think it cold of me to say I'm a little less worried about her than I am your siblings."

"Why is that?" Kairi asked, their shared speed echoing against the cement flooring.

"She may work at a desk know, but she must still have some of that training committed to memory from when she was a detective, right? She's a little more prepared to deal with villains than your brother and sister right now."

The both of them stopped abruptly before her sister's captor. A sick grin of pleasure spread across his face as he met them again.

"You really want to go another round with my quirk?" he chuckled, and he tightened his grip around the little girl. She cried out, though the bounds dampened much of the noise. Kairi took a hearty step forward, the ground reflecting the emotion within.

"I broke through it once," she huffed. "What makes you think I won't do it again?" The muscles around his lips flinched, betraying his hesitation. The action didn't escape her notice, allowing a confidant warmth to seep into her system. "Give me the child."

He hardened his jaw and informed Kairi of his decision via his stone gaze. She gritted her teeth and pulled at the zipper at the front of her jacket, tossing it aside. Beside her, dueling elements erupted from Shoto's palms. Kairi rolled her neck from side to side, stretching it out. She blew out a soothing breath before digging into the deep parts of her mind to search for a memory; something powerful enough that it would cause him to surrender Vivian. Once that was done, then they could focus on taking him out.

At present, all she could feel was her anger. It had consumed her as a wave crashes against the ocean. She hadn't even had time to escape it's tunnel and she was caught up in its undertowe. She wound her attention around the tendrils of a different emotion, but the current issue before them reeled her back in so quickly. It seemed to have burned away much of her other feelings, blocking from anything else from coming.

Flames danced on his left, ice prickled on his right as he waited. Once the two were separated, he could be a little less careful about how he used his quirk. And the man before them seemed to be waiting for them to act too, looking smug as it took them longer to respond. He imprisoned the man in his expression, but allowed for a look to the side to see Kairi, still. The slow and deliberate movements of her body informed him she was trying to get into a head space to find the right emotion. The scent vials she carried on her hero suit made the job quicker and stronger to target a specific memory to use how she wanted, but they hadn't taken their hero suits with to the museum. Kairi had become so adept at using her quirk though, that even when she didn't use the tubes it didn't usually take this long.

"Kairi..." he said softly.

"I'm trying..." she whispered. Stress molded into her face. "I'm just so... _pissed_ right now."

"Heh," chuckled the man in front. "You're unable to use your quirk? Ha! What kind of heroes are you, anyway?"

There needed to be a way to tame the flames of wrath that licked her veins. Ideally, the best emotion to use would be fear, grief, something that was strong enough to cripple her that could bring him down but nothing in her accessible memory seemed to be enough to wrestle with her current emotions. The longer she took to brandish her quirk, the more confidant this man was growing that he was going to be able to take them both down. She would also be jeopardizing Shoto and Vivian, as both of them relied on her.

Realization ignited a spark that zipped up her spine and into her mind. A brief flicker of panic crossed her eyes before the urgency in her soul shook it away.

From his readied position behind her, Shoto watched an idea fall on her and her pupils brighten with surety.

"Trust me," she mouthed. Shoto cocked his head, brow showing his confusion before the Emotive Iris stepped forward.

"You know, your quirk isn't really that powerful. I mean, a mere child broke through it. That quirk could be worthy of being a hero, but if I can break through it I guess it wouldn't qualify. You couldn't even ace an entrance exam." Annoyance burned in the man's eyes.

"You really don't want your sister back, do you?" he snarled. That small seed of her ever present anxiety warned her against her actions, but she fought to yield to her logic, though it made her slightly nauseous.

"Are you kidding?" she snorted. "Of course I do, but I know taking her from you is going to be easy. You're quirk isn't that powerful."

He huffed. "You were almost taken out completely by my quirk, and don't deny it."

"Almost?" she said, growing bolder as she appealed to his pride. "Almost isn't going to cut it. Sure, I was uncomfortable for a moment but it really wasn't that big of deal." His jaw was in danger of cutting straight through his skin with how tightly he held it.

"If I took my quirk full range, you would be put into a coma, stuck in that warped vision of reality." Reluctance stabbed through Kairi, as she considered backing out. She dropped her worrisome eyes to Vivian, who trembled in her bounds. Worry flew straight out of her.

"Then prove it."

A beat. "What?"

"Prove it. Give me your quirk again." Shoto's jaw dropped, bringing his heart down with it.

"Are you mad?"

"Maybe, but if I'm not I guess I will be in a moment."

"I knew UA students were cocky, but I didn't think I'd find one who was also stupid!" he growled with delight. Vivian screamed through her lengths of rope and whatever the man before them said next had coiled into the nonsense that took Kairi down again.

She was sliding back into the concrete, the faces around her dripping as if wet paint running down a canvas. Jagged lines expanded across her sky, blocking out any sort of color or semblance of reality. Spikes coiled into and wove around her form, just barely not touching her skin. Just as she fall into the comfort of the darkened distortion, a swift wind flung her into the twisted painted brambles. The winds tousled her aside, whipping her from one side and into the next. Her stomach rolled and sat right in her chest, waiting for something to stop. Whispers crept into her blood before spilling out of her own mouth. Once more, she couldn't quite pick out exactly what language they were meant to be, but they curdled her insides. Sense rattled a reminder, that she needed to fall to whatever images this hellscape showed her. _Be afraid_, she felt herself think, but it fought against everything she felt. The fear was growing, but the part of her that reminded her to not be afraid tried to conquer. Somehow, her mind thundered with the message that it was vital she be afraid. There were times when she would need to let fear guide her.

Dark reds and grays dripped on the atmosphere, forming grisly images that bore into her. Her pulse quickened at the sounds of someone screaming - someone she cared for very much. She couldn't place the voice; it sounded young, male, but the way her chest ached at the sound told her it was something deeply special. Growls, screams, a flash of color spinning into the ghastly forms and shapes that were working heart to eclipse how she felt. Something in her spirit screamed to let go, let the feelings come. The importance of it just seemed to ride on every beat she felt in her heart.

The world spun faster, still throwing her about. Noises grew louder, colors blended together as they encroached on her. Screams met with laughs, pulling at the threads of insecurity she thought she had finally started to overcome. Red flowed across the landscape as a man screamed. A pounding within told her this scene was familiar, but she couldn't recall why. Fear cut into her, and it wove into her core. Her body shook violently as she searched for the floor, floating in the chaos. She needed this fear, but wasn't clear why. Why was it so important for her to feel so afraid?

Kairi's hands reached forward, searching for anything to pull her from this sickness that burrowed into her mind and infected her with these images. She rasped, finding no sound was leaving her voice. There were no exits, no openings away from this distorted world she had found herself in. Where had she even come from? How did she get trapped in this? Why did she need to be afraid? Was she being chased? Was it important to get away? Why did she need to feel this so strongly? What was her mind trying to tell her?

Her heart clenched at the sound a of a young girl's cry, a young boy's cry. Something about them pulled at her hard, but she couldn't understand why. She must have had people so important to her, but a heavy fog cloaked her mind and blocked all memory.

The string of familiarity still tugged and her and understanding filled her. Whoever these children were, they were vital to her feeling this fear. These children relied on it. Purpose soothed her and she flailed her arms til she swimming across the pandemonium that rotated around her. Kairi rolled herself into a sitting position, watching the chaos fall onto her. She took in a deep breath and fell back against the nothing. Happy to have such a willing participant, the wild nightmares flooded into her. Ice stabbed into her veins, a horror she had never known freezing throughout her system. Weight pushed into her chest, the trauma took heavy for her to hold. A scream froze her throat til it was on fire. Drinking in all the horrifying images that surrounded her, Kairi embraced it all til her body stopped it's shaking.

The darkness around her splintered as she absorbed it all. A piercing cry curiously cracked through all her senses. The world that built up around her crashed in slivers, falling like mirrors pieces. Fear still kept her, holding her still as she felt ground holding her. It was firm, and cold, as the ground should be she realized. Her heart fluttered worriedly for those nearby - Shoto, she recalled. Vivian. Her boyfriend. Her sister. People who needed to be trusted. Her palms linger over the gritty flatness of the concrete she lay on. Several blinks made out flowing lines and curving paths of the pipes and beams that sat in the ceiling above. It made no sense for her to be so surprised to see them, to turn and notice the outline of storage containers around them. They were in the basement of the museum. They had always been there, why should it be surprising.

Her body ached with constant trembled as fear struggled to leave her body. Frantic she shifted, searching for the horror that had crippled her so badly she was now laying on the ground and shaking. But nothing seemed to be out of place, nothing seemed to be nearby that would have scared her so much. Everything was just as it was, with the exception of Shoto frozen in a terrified expression as he looked at her and their opponent who was now trembling on his knees.

Kairi shot up, watching the man sputter before him as he pleaded for it to stop. Victory tried to rise in her spirit and she forced it away, tugging at the fear that continue to wrap it's knife around her core. The Emotive Iris vanished into it, drawing closer to its feeling. As she struggled to rise to her feet, her legs shook with its power. Her eyes looked from the cowering man, to her sister slipping from his hold. She pleaded with the fear, for it to continue. She prayed for the man to keep feeling it, as the burn of wrath flared again. She looked up to Shoto as the anger snapped back into her. His shoulders dropped as relief found him. Kairi reached to scoop up the young girl into her arms. As she stepped away, Shoto immediately pushed his hand forward. A cascade of ice flew forward, encasing the whimpering man who continued to cower before them. Kairi's heart softened slightly, though the anger still throbbed through her.

"Is he... genuinely scared now?" Shoto asked, taking her side as the two of them watched their enemy cry and shake. "Are you still terrified?"

"I..." A chill ran through her, as she contemplated the feeling once more. She couldn't recall what it was that happened, just that it was so horrifying to continue to cling to her. "I mean some of it is still present, but the minute I looked to Vivian all I felt was the rage I had for him, for the entire situation." It welled up once more, constricting inside. "I'm feeling both still, I guess, but currently my dominant feeling is anger? There's a little bit of relief." Shoto frowned, contemplating her words as he took Vivian from her arms. He traced a finger to slowly move down the back of the rope that held her. Smoke spiraled from his fingertips and the air grew slightly stale with the taste of it.

"That... doesn't make sense..." Shoto muttered, pulling the rope away from Vivian's mouth. "He should feel either the most dominant emotion or a strange combination of them all. At least, I thought that's how your quirk worked from what I've seen. You can't just choose which emotion to let others feel or decide you would rather they feel the less dominant one." The truth of Shoto's observations bloomed a wild thought in Kairi, and she buzzed with it's implication.

"No," she answered automatically, the revelation of it still unfolding in her mind. "At least... it never did... but I really wanted him to specifically feel fear and only fear..." Shoto's eyes bugged as his own self began to pull at the threads of the answer. "Oh my God... Shoto did I...?"

The next breath taken by Vivian cut off Kairi's question. As her ropes fell to the ground, the young girl interrupted them with a scream so dire and urgent, she must have been waiting ages to say it.

"YOU NEED TO GO BACK AFTER THAT MAN! HE HAS MUMMY AND HE DISAPPEARED BEHIND THAT BACK CRATE!"

"What man-" Shoto began. Once more, he exchanged startled looks with Kairi, who swallowed harshly.

"'Back... after?'"

"We suspected that fake guard had a quirk that prevented us from seeing him, or noticing him, or remembering him."

"Did we already see him?" Kairi wondered aloud, just before another shock unlocked another part of her sense. She looked down at Vivian's startled face. "Then how do you remember him?"

"Perception," Shoto whispered. "Kairi, she has your mother's quirk."


	88. With a Little Help

The sound of shoes scuffing against granite echoed off the spacious walls and the layers of crates as the two of them followed Vivian's direction. She directed them between the mounting storage containers and the guards tailed closed behind him when they passed them on their way. The first guard attempted to keep his voice soft to comfort the still fussy child, but continued to run alongside his partner.

"Up there!" Vivian shouted, almost falling out of Shoto's arms while she gestured to a crate on a third level shelf. There was a split on the front face of its paneling, indicating it had been opened in a sloppy fashion pretty recently. "That's where I saw him take mum earlier!" Kairi's legs powered her strong leap as she took to a higher box. Shoto stopped before he followed her, and reached to catch her ankle before she continued forward.

"Wait, Kairi," he said. His plead paused by, but impatience was starting to percolate into her anger. She blew out a heavy sigh. Kairi slowly spun, looking down at Shoto. He shifted Vivian against his hip, gaining a better hold. "I understand you're angry and frustrated and want to take this man down. I am too. I want your family safe." He carefully considered his next words. "I also understand that emotions are your tool and you need to tap into them right now. But I believe it's important to consider how to approach this right now. We can't remember what he did, what he said, or anything. The only reason we know he is even here is because of what Vivian said. If he decides to use his quirk he could disappear with your mother and we would forget where he was or what he said. We wouldn't have the vital knowledge to find him."

"My mom can use her quirk to remember details," Kairi said quickly. She spoke to Shoto, but her attention kept going back to the crate Vivian pointed out. "I can use her to relay the information. She's a bitch, but she's also a bitch to people who intend to do her harm so she'd be willing to work with me if it protects her."

"My guess is this man is the fake guard, right?" He spoke in English, and looked to Vivian for confirmation, and she nodded aggressively. "Meaning he's probably your stalker. If he knows all that information, shouldn't he know what your mother's quirk is? He might have figured out her quirk doesn't work on him." Kairi's brows rose with realization. She crouched, looking Vivian over with a gentle plead.

"Vivian... did you see what they did with Mom?" she asked. Vivian was shaking slightly less in Shoto's arms, but her face remained pale with fear. Even so, she bravely breathed in deeply before speaking.

"He called her mean names and swore a lot. He said the b word and some words I didn't know. And then he made that lady shoot ropes from her hands and she was tied up. And then he made sure her mouth was covered with rope. And then he covered her eyes, and put things in her ears. And then I saw him take her up there and I was tied in ropes. I screamed and I bit the guy who had me. He got mad but then kept tying me so I couldn't bite anymore."

"Good girl!" Kairi smiled, and a little color rose back into Vivian's face.

"So he's trying to drown out her senses so she's unable to recall what's happening?" Shoto guessed.

"It will help drown out some of her quirk, but not entirely," Kairi said. "Mom's quirk doesn't work like hyper senses. I mean that's part of it. She once explained it to me that it's like little things just jump out to her and it's super obvious. Some cops and mentalists learn how to just do it, but it comes naturally to her. And others things she may not be able to pick up from her senses but she can just feel things."

"Like psychic powers?"

"I mean, some people thought it was a psychic ability but it isn't really like that. It's not like she can predict the future, there's no supernatural connection to a word beyond or anything. It's more like... a spidey sense. That's a stupid way to say it, but that's how she said it when she was little. So she'll be able to sense things and smell things yet, although her Perception will be limited." Shoto knitted his brow with curiosity.

"If he knew about Tabitha's quirk, why did he cover her eyes, her mouth, and plug her ears but he didn't do the same to Vivian?"

"Ah-" Kairi began. Her mind clicked with realization and she jumped back down to stand in front of Shoto and Vivian. "Vivian, do you remember when you were able to notice things many people miss?"

"I dunno," she said innocently. "Forever, I guess."

"Does your mom know you can?"

"Sometimes I tell her stuff and she says I go on and on and on and I fib and make up lies about things about things. But I try to tell her I'm not lying I actually did see certain things or things happened and then she gets really mad and tells me to shut it and be quiet." Kairi's stomach clenched as the painful words clipped inside.

"But you're not, right?" Shoto said calmly.

"I mean, I do like to tell stories! But I know those are just pretend. If I talk about things like seeing a unicorn outside or if I tell her about riding on a butterfly, she laughs. But if I talk about things like how Edgar just always seems sad and I don't know why and that his screams seems louder and more scared than other kids she freaks out-"

"Why does she freak out?" Shoto asked quietly, wincing at the implications of the young girl's story. "Wouldn't she be proud she could see those things? It's not like her quirk is affecting her the way yours did, Kairi."

"Mum doesn't like quirks. She thinks they're scary. I think they're cool!"

Interrupted by her own thoughts, Kairi jumped in. "Vivian - does your dad have a quirk?"

"Nope," she said, popping the "P" on the word with fervor. "She keeps telling me I don't have no quirk too. That I will never have one." Shoto and Kairi exchanged similarly wide-eyed expressions.

"So she married a quirkless man," Shoto said.

"I have a lot of questions about if that was intentional," Kairi bit, still speaking in English. Shoto shook his head and indicated Vivian discreetly, and continued the conversation in Japanese.

"Not the time. She probably assumes her children also don't have quirks. Perception isn't one as easily discernible as... well.." He looked down at himself. "My guess is her yelling and getting mad at Vivian was a reaction to her having a quirk at all. Maybe her experience with you has colored her feelings about quirks in general." Kairi winced, his words an iron to her emotions. Shoto gritted his teeth, looking on her sympathetically. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she replied. "I'm sure many criminals using their quirks for evil never helped either."

"If Vivian doesn't realize what she has is a quirk, and your mother refuses to acknowledge that she has a quirk, maybe this man doesn't know either."

"We may need to use her - at a distance - to keep track of his movements. If he disappears and forgets, we may not know where to go." Shoto bounced Vivian enthusiastically against his hip.

"Ready to be a hero and help us?" he asked. Her face blanched again while her pupils grew large at the offer.

"Umm..." she swallowed. "Do I have to beat people up?"

"No," Shoto chuckled warmly. He reached to tuck a strand of hair away from her face. Kairi felt a glow in her chest as she watched the interaction. "We just need you to tell us what he says and does, just in case we forget. You have a special power where you are able to remember, but we can't because he has a special power to make us forget."

"I guess I can do that," she said shyly.

"The first thing I need to do is get him away from my mother," Kairi said, gripping the crate in front of her to leap back up. Shoto nodded and turned to the guards behind them. He passed Vivian to the second guard, winking at her when she began to fidget nervously.

"We'll be right back," he said. Kairi leapt up first and then extended a hand to Shoto. She pulled him up just before the two of them ran across the tops of neighboring storage boxes.

"Break in there, work to get him away from your mom," Shoto said. "Separate them so he can't hurt her."

"Keep him in Vivian's sight at a safe distance so she can point out if something goes wrong."

"I know you're tempted to just run in there and take him down," Shoto panted. Kairi gripped the railing of the shelving. She flung her legs to the side, rolling her ankle just over the edge of the shelf. Fingers just barely clinging to the shelf, she narrowly flipped onto the shelf and then once more reached down to help pull Shoto up.

"Good god, you're heavy!" she groaned as she slowly tugged on his arms.

"Thanks," he chuckles.

"Oh stuff it, you know I mean it's because you're so frickin' muscular helping you up is a pain in the rear."

"First time you've complained about my muscles," he said playfully just as he rolled onto the shelf and Kairi stepped back, wheezing.

"_Please_ tell me you won't continue talking that way in front of my mother. Even with her ears plugged and facing off against an enemy I want to beat the shit out of, I will still get incredibly embarrassed." Shoto chuckled mildly, but it quickly died as the two of them kept going. Kairi swiveled around the post of the metal shelving unit to jump onto the other side. The girl swung herself up onto the third tier and rolled onto her back. Taking a second to breathe, she leaned over to help Shoto up. He stumbled into her as she pulled him towards her. His body fell against hers against the crate. Kairi quickly pushed him away before the chance to get embarrassed could seep in. Shoto stood first and helped pull her to feet. The two heroes slipped around the expansive crates and side stepped between them. Whispers permeated the thin paneling of the crate. The voice felt familiar, for sure, though Kairi couldn't recall ever hearing him speak. With her nod of permission, Shoto pushed his left hand against the paneling. The bitter acrid taste of smoke wafted in front of them as the wood darkened under his palm. The burnt wood gave way under his hand and Kairi slammed an elbow into the weak spot. The paneling fell loose and she rolled into the box.

A clunk sounded beside her as Shoto jumped in afterwards. And then a click joined the cold pressure against the side of Kairi's head. Shoto's gasp caught in his throat.

Tabitha rolled in her rope cocoon, struggling against her bounds. Just as Vivian said, the rope reached over her mouth, her eyes covered by a black cloth. Sounds came from her direction, but it was hard to make out what she was saying.

Having processed her mother being bound in the corner and rendered incapable of doing anything but mumbling, Kairi focused on the cold pressure on her head. Her peripheral vision followed to the man stamping before them, arm held out against her head. A flash of black metal in his hand confirmed the suspicion that flipped her gut - he held a gun against her head.

"If you make a move," he whispered, looking between Kairi and Shoto. "Your careers as heroes will be very short." Anger tightened with her growing rediscovered anxiety. Her body went rigid, preventing her from making any movement at all.

"Your quirk isn't very good at serving as a threatening weapon, is it?" she snipped The pressure increased. Shoto's breath hitched as he watched the action.

"All I have to do is vanish from here with mommy dearest, and you'll forget where I was and where I went."

"Will I?" Kairi said, letting her anxiety expand and drown out the anger. Her fingers shook, desperate for her to start fiddling. But fear also froze her and she was struggling to move. She released the part of her telling her to think logically and consider the situation. Months of therapy and hero training to teach her to look at the situation as a puzzle to be solved, and she was setting it free in the moment. Her fears dug into her pulse and it began to corrupt her mind. The metal shook against her head. Good, he was feeling it too.

"Y-yes..." he stammered. She breathed, willing for the feeling to seep into him. Giving herself permission to let her insecurities and worries flow, finding the conduit into him, Kairi pushed out her emotion. She felt his grip weaken against her temple, and greedily pushed her emotions forward more. "If... erm... If I will you to not notice me, you won't see me here. If I will you to be unaware of my existence, you won't be aware of it. That's how that works."

"So you want us to see you right now?" Shoto asked, his hands twitching with a want to attack. "That's why we're aware of you?"

"Of course. It's unfortunate I chose to not have you remember the speech I gave you earlier. It was a rousing speech."

"Did you ask yourself why we're here then?" Kairi snided. As strong as she tried to sound, her voice shook as she let herself fill with anxiety. "If you wanted us to so badly forget you and be unaware of where you were, then how did we know where to find you?" She felt his grip stiffen as he paused, mulling over this horrifying complication. She watched his jaw tighten, recognizing his body movements as the anxiety took him.

"Uh, no..." As she let her chest thunder with tension and weights push on her shoulders, she watched his form mimic hers - stiff and tighten, trying to protect his own body from any opposing forces that might try to attack it. Kairi breathed pushing the last of it out. Then she sought out her anger, clamping down in its form and refusing to release it. It was for her and her alone, and only she was allowed to feel it.

Just as she hoped, he only shook with anxiety now. The gun clattered from his hand and before it touched the ground, Shoto raised his right hand. Ice encased the weapon, shielded it from all sides as it clunked against the bottom of the box. Danger-free, Kairi leapt forward. She rammed her elbow against his sternum. The man coughed at the impact and meandered backwards. Shoto ran around behind him, catching him before he could find his footing once more. He pushed the man towards Kairi. She captured him, holding him against the side of the panel. Shoto blasted a stream of fire at the front of the box. The cover blackened instantly and dissipated in charred chunks. The musty air rolled in as the box opened to the rest of the warehouse.

The man swung a hearty fist into Kairi's stomach. A buckle of pain bent her body and he used the distraction to slip from her hold. While she clutched the point of agony, the man jumped from the opening of the box. Shoto ran forward, taking Kairi's hand as he passed her. Together, the two jumped down from the box. Kairi landed cleaner while Shoto rolled on his legs a bit. The man kept just ahead of them as he rolled onto the next crate and pulled himself onto a larger one. The couple remained close behind him, their pace matching his as they ran together. Shoto's right hand gripped Kairi's as he used his left side to shoot bursts of fire. A blast blocked the man's initial route, and he veered a different direction to take. They watched his disappear behind another crate and then they were left wondering what it was they were doing, running and firing flames.

"We were chasing him... weren't we?" Kairi guessed, looking around for the likely direction he would have taken.

"I'm guessing we got him away from the crate," Shoto said, looking back to see the burned hole in the front of the storage box.

"That way!" came Vivian's cry from somewhere across the unit. The two looked to see her head poke over a distant shipping container - the guard was holding her up so they could see, and she pointed to the left. "He went that way."

"Thanks, Vi!" Kairi shouted, and they followed her direction. Hanging tight onto each other, the two of them ran down the row of containers. When the row split again, another direction echoed from Vivian, and they took another turn.

When they reached the end of that row, they could hear Vivian screaming just before a weight fell against them both. Shoto went down with Kairi, rolling against the floor. A hand gripped Kairi's wrist and flung her against a metal panel on of the largest boxes in the facility. Her back froze with pain as it crunched, causing her to cry out. The same hand that gripped her curved around her throat. He pushed against her hard. Kairi's mouth fell open, desperate to drink in any possible last source of air. The center of her breath refused to operate however and she found herself swallowing with no give.

"You really enjoy being a piece of shit, don't you? I get why your mother can't stand you!" the man laughed. Kairi's eyes popped, pleading for relief as the edges of reality started to blur. The scene began to melt and her head billowed with a lightness.

A blaze of light followed the sweltering heat that caught the man's arm. He screamed as the flames hugged his wrist. Kairi dropped from his grip and collapsed onto the floor. She coughed, air quickly sweeping into her lungs as her vision sharpened again, watching Shoto quickly use his ice to capture and douse the fire crawling up the man's arm. With another sweep of his hand, Shoto encased the man's legs in a base of ice, pinning him in place. Satisfied they had won, he ran to Kairi's side.

Their attention was stolen by the crash of the museum door opening, the hall lighting illuminating the stream of heroes led by Eraserhead.

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**You guys, there are five more chapters until this is done! It's so close, it's so exciting and also very sad! Thank you so much for all the love and the favorites and the follows you have given me, you are wonderful! I hope you're all saying safe and healthy, and I would love a review or comment IF you are willing to leave one. There will be more soon, stay tuned!**


	89. Disconnecting

**I know this is becoming a common content warning for this fic but it's My Hero Academia, and MHA has no shortage of this type of thing. So CW: This chapter mildly mentions child abuse. **

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Kairi's fidgeting returned in the absence of the danger, but this time it was with impatience. She wound her fingers together in her lap as her legs swayed off the edge of back of the ambulance. The girl flinched as the paramedic pulled at her eyelids, waving a light across her pupils.

"My vision is fine," she snapped. "I don't feel sick, my head doesn't hurt, and I don't hear any ringing. You can rule out a concussion."

"Fatigued?" the young man asked, trying his best to remain calm and patient. Kairi blew out a frustrated breath.

"I'm exhausted, but that's from fighting and running and stress."

"Kairi," Shoto said softly, shifting Oscar on his hip again as he patiently waited for her to finish. "Shouldn't you know better than anyone how important it is for first responders to assess and rule out any possibilities?"

"Yes, that's exactly why I know I'm fine," she said strongly. The man inspecting her held her chin and gently encouraged her to raise her head. She reluctantly obeyed and he eyed the mark around her neck curiously. Dark purple splotches were growing across her throat, courtesy of Iwata's violence against her. Shoto reddened with his guilt of failure to protect her and turned away, watching his knees as he kicked them in time with Kairi's.

"The bad guy tried to choke me," Kairi explained. "It's just bruising, right?" The man nodded. Kairi pulled her chin away from him. "Then it's fine. I'll see Recovery Girl as soon as I can so I can heal faster."

"What's taking mum so long?" Vivian whispered, clinging onto Kairi's swaying leg. Her eyelids were starting to droop. Of course she would be tired, after the exhaustive ordeal she had been through. But fear still lingered to keep her alert, and she refused to let go of either Kairi or Shoto once Eraserhead and Present Mic had arrived with a few of their classmates. By the time they had turned out, the two of them had resolved the issue and instead they had helped cuff their opponents and clean up as much as possible. Moments later, the police and two ambulance had arrived. Shoto and Kairi let her mother and the kids be tended to first before they were given attention, despite Kairi's defiance she didn't need any medical attention.

Tabitha shifted restlessly in place some several feet away. An officer bobbed their head as the woman supplied her with answers. Clearly, she was ready to leave and get on going as well. She kept looking back over to her children, waiting for a moment to join them again.

A paramedic, three officers, and a couple of their classmates quickly stepped away from each other to part the way for a new face rushing onto the scene. Kairi pulled herself tighter with worry at her father running towards them. She pushed aside the man who was just trying to help her, and reflected the "oh shit" expression that Shoto held as he immediately looked towards Tabitha Tradesbury.

"Dad...!" Kairi warned, running towards him and pressing her hands against his chest to stop him. He avoided her face and kept looking over Kairi's shoulder to where Tabitha stood. He set his jaw firmly, and his frame jostled with urgency. "Dad, I need you to take a few steps back, okay? We're all okay, we're fine."

"I'm going to rip that woman apart for putting you kids through this!" he sneered, trying hard to get past Kairi.

"It wasn't her, okay? This wasn't her fault, this would have happened... this was the plan... Dad!" Kairi's small stature was no match for Mr. Hoshino as he broke past her arms and ran towards his ex. She threw Shoto a pleading look and he responded immediately. The boy shifted Oscar on his hip to free his right hand, blasting a wall of ice to serve as a barrier between the two adults. Eraserhead drew away from the officer he spoke to, walking over to where Naoko Hoshino stood, preventing him from walking around the narrow wall of ice.

"Hoshino, Sir. I assure you the situation is being handled and your daughter is safe," he told him calmly.

"I need to have a talk with that woman over there!" he growled.

"Sir, we are grateful for the help of the police, but we have enough officers here, the criminals have been apprehended and placed in the squad cars. Please let the heroes do their job. Once we are done here, you will be allowed to see your daughter and discuss the details with her later."

"Eraserhead-"

"Later, Mr. Hoshino." Eraserhead's commanding gaze caused her father to hesitate. He scoffed in annoyance, but knew better than to mess with hero protocol, especially when that hero was Eraserhead.

"Kairi, call me later, okay?" he said towards her direction. She nodded and he huffed as he turned. He stopped back through the crowd, leaving Kairi to flare with heated embarrassment at the scene. Eraserhead looked her direction. Her eyes softened with gratitude at his interference.

"Todoroki tells me much of the defeat of all three of these criminals is due to your actions," he said to her. It was a statement and held no other emotion behind it, but the twitching corner of Eraserhead's lip was enough to give away his pride in her. Kairi humbly dropped her head, watching her own feet. Her spirit filled with a pride of her own, warming her with relief. It hadn't gone the way it had done before; in fact based on the conversations she had with police and her friends, they had done everything perfectly.

"I had some involvement," Kairi said. "But Shoto played a vital role and honestly, we both would have been screwed if it weren't for Vivian." The little girl shyly smiled before gripping Kairi's hand again and hiding behind her older sister's back.

"Hm," he muttered, looking around to see the girl.

"She has a Perception quirk, just like my mother. And her quirk canceled out Iwata's quirk. When we couldn't remember where he had gone or what he had said, she guided us and filled us in."

"How badly is the damage to his arm?" Shoto said, referencing the burns up his arm he had left him. He had been unable to look away from Iwata as the paramedics wrapped his arm while he screamed in pain. Kairi easily could read the guilt etched into his expression.

"I was told it's likely second degree burns – very minimal considering the power behind the fires you administered. It's just an arm, Todoroki, not his life," he said, reverting from the Pro Hero Eraserhead he arrived as and turning back into their teacher, Aizawa. "As I have said before, there are times when you unfortunately have to resort to injuring a villain in order to save others. You may not have a choice. It's just important you do the minimum damage possible in order to help the situation. From what Hoshino told me, it sounds like that's exactly what you did."

"What were you supposed to do, Shoto?" she added. "He was a lot stronger than me and I couldn't move. He would have strangled me if you didn't."

"You were protecting your partner," Aizawa added. "That's exactly what you are supposed to do. And he will heal from it."

"What did he want from me?" Kairi interrupted, rolling her hands together as she voiced the question she continued to tackle with. "I still don't understand what it was." Iwata's quirk had prevented either of their memories from recalling his speech about his involvement with QuirKey. A quick background check on Iwata and his partners Genya and Ena helped to fill in many of the gaps. In revenge for what she had done at QuirKey and his coworkers, Iwata had use his quirk to snap photographs that other people either couldn't legally obtain or do so without being noticed. He had hoped to either discredit her with the photos, or shame and stress her out so much she would no longer want to be one. Aizawa filled in the details they had been able to deduce or that Iwata had freely told him once he used his Erasure in the brief moments police tried to get information from him.

"Is this QuirKey crap going to follow me everywhere?" Kairi sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Stuff follows you when you're a hero, sometimes years," Shoto replied.

"Those who are due to be released from jail soon or on probation from the company will also be monitored much closer now," Aizawa said. "I also need to head down to the station to help question Iwata. Hopefully that will give us more information on how deep his fake paparazzo role was in his stalking you. If any more photographs of you do turn up, it will be an order to destroy them immediately, and no one is to tell anyone to nature of them." His cold steel expression between Kairi and Shoto assured the both of them whatever else that was private between them he may have captured would never be known to the public, the police, or him. Kairi's chest lightened.

Momo's arms landed on Kairi before she could even process her running towards her. She gasped in surprise and quickly returned the hug, patting her back.

"Hopefully this whole stalking nightmare is over," she said through a grin. Aizawa slipped away to continue speaking with police, and Momo was joined by Izuku and Tsu who had also tagged along.

"Yeah..." Kairi said, a weight falling from her shoulders as she found the strength to smile again. "I really think it is... and maybe we can finally put all the QuirKey mess behind us for good."

"My sister was amazing!" Vivian shouted, suddenly energized to speak. "She got really mad and was so strong and didn't run away! She wasn't scared at all and even when I thought she lost she knew she was winning and she was able to make the big man scared and she tackled that lady! She made them cry! And Shoto was really strong too and he made fire go rraaawww!" She imitated the sound of rushing fire. "And then he used ice to trap them! And I helped! I told them where to go because that man has a special power to make them forget but not me! I have a special power where I know where things are and it helped!"

"Yes it did," Kairi laughed, reaching to pick her sister up. The little girl giggled brightly as he older sister rubbed her nose against her own. "And you were so brave too! I have never seen a young girl act so quickly and be so brave! You could be a hero too, if you wanted!"

"That would be cool!" Vivian laughed, resting her head against Kairi's shoulder. "But this was scary and I think I want to be a veter-in."

"A veterinarian?" Kairi guessed.

"That's what I said."

"Saving animals is a kind of hero too," Shoto said. "So you would be both."

"Really?" Vivian gasped. "Then that's what I want to be. A vet hero!"

Tsu's eyes shifted to Momo, who wore the same whimsical knowing expression she did. Momo coughed to cover an obvious laugh and Tsu snickered, the two of them looking at Kairi and Shoto closely.

"What?" Kairi said. She was feeling the heat rise in her face again but remained clueless.

"You're both holding kids," Tsu managed to say through her laughter.

"So?" Shoto said, equally confused.

"Do you have any idea what it looks like?" Momo laughed. Shoto and Kairi looked at each other, and the moment of realization occurred at the same time for them both. With the two of them standing so close it did create a family picture. While Kairi's eyes popped and her embarrassment deepened, Shoto's cheeks filled with his bright smile.

"Well, several years down the line of course... it's not an image I object to." Kairi slapped her hand against her mouth, silencing a scream that rose to her throat. She spun to avoid looking at him, red highlighting every curve of her face. Her sternum weakened under the violent fluttering in her chest. Did he really just say that? What did that even mean?!

"Ahem..." interrupted a low feminine voice. The embarrassment was quickly replaced by a myriad of emotions as Ms. Tradesbury stepped into the conversation. "If everyone has been tended to, I can take my children now. The police are allowing us to leave and say that we should be free to go back home in a couple days." Though she couldn't understand the conversation, Vivian tightened her hold around Kairi. The tone of the conversation had been enough to affect her.

"Oh? Did you tell the police how you also slapped me in front of everyone?" Kairi snapped, anger rolling back onto her.

"Oh, Kairi come on. I regret doing it, but it was barely a tap. It barely left a mark."

"It doesn't fucking matter!" Kairi exploded. "In different ways, you have always abused me and I wouldn't be surprised if you are doing the same to these kids! Maybe you never hit me when I was a kid, but I also went along with everything you ever said! What if I _had_ stood up to you? Would you have hit me then?"

"Of course not, Kairi, I never would have touched you!"

"Because you had custody of me? But since you can't get taken from me now, it's fair game?"

"Kairi... stop. Please. You're making a scene."

"And you didn't?! Look – the best things you ever did for me was walk out that door and introduce me to these kids. And those are the only good things you have ever done."

Oscar began to whimper into Shoto's shirt as Kairi's yelling increased. Vivian tried to hide under Kairi's arms.

"You tried to tell Vivian she didn't have a quirk? You tried to say she was a liar when you knew she had a quirk!" Kairi continued. "She has _your_ quirk, even! Are you so terrified of the consequences of quirks you can't even accept your own child having your own quirk? What about Oscar? What if he has a quirk? What will you do then? I'm starting to think it was never my quirk itself you just couldn't handle children being children. You were ill-equipped to be a mother and it sounds like nothing changed. If you wanted to actually be a mother, you would put in the work. But it sounds like you don't want to."

"Kairi-"

"No, don't interrupt me, Tabitha!" Kairi screamed. A police officer hovered nearby, concerned. "Are you treating these children the same way you treated me? Does your husband know the way you parent? What does he do, does he just let it happen?"

"Just let it go, Kairi," Tabitha growled, reaching to grab Vivian. Kairi pulled her away.

"No! Listen! For once, just listen to me Tabitha! For once in your goddamn life! I am not the same scared little girl I was a year ago who was too anxious to make a stand. I am a goddamned hero and I refuse to let you get away with this!"

"You can't just expect to prevent me from getting on a plane without my kids, can you?" Kairi's shoulders fell, the truth of her words striking sorrow through her heart.

"No... I can't. Unfortunately I know far too much about legal systems thanks to Dad to know how this works. There is no proof here about the way you treat them for the police here to intervene, and I don't know how things are at home. But if you think that's going to stop me from playing the long game from halfway across the word to make sure these kids are being raised in a healthy home, you're mistaken. I'll use my connections of having a dad in law enforcement. I'll use my hero status, my growing fame, to do whatever I can. It's got to be useful for something."

"And I'll use my family name and status," Shoto added threateningly.

"And I'll use my family's connections!" Momo blurted.

"I may not be able to do anything right now, but I won't stop doing. If I have explored every possible avenue and I turn up nothing about them being in danger than sure, you can keep them but don't you think I won't do every possible thing. I can't cut off all contact with you for the sake of them but I refuse to acknowledge you as my mother. And if I so much as find out that you're even mistreating them a little, I will give you hell!"

Tabitha's mouth hung open, left without words. She kept her eyes away from Kairi and ripped Vivian from her arms. The girl trembled as her mom lowered her so she was standing again. Ms. Tradesbury beckoned for Shoto to pass Oscar over, but he didn't make any movement for a solid minute. His nostrils flared as he glared at her, silent warnings in his eyes. Oscar reached for his mom and she looked on them smugly.

"We were going to have a small celebration for your birthday tomorrow, but I can tell you wouldn't appreciate it. Good-bye, Kairi. Since you don't want anything to do with me anymore, then I guess you don't want to spend the last couple days with us. Have a good life being a famous hero with a famous boyfriend. It's nice to know you turned out exactly like your father."

"Thank you for the compliment." Without another word, Tabitha carried her children away. Vivian cried loudly, dragging her feet as her mother pulled her along. Oscar looked over his mother's shoulder, waving sadly.

Kairi's feet fell out from under her as she collapsed to the ground, her emotion spilling out as her heart shattered before her. Siblings she had gone without never knowing they existed til weeks ago, whom she loved immediately upon seeing, gone from her until she didn't know when. If she would ever see them again. Her gut punched up into her throat as she sputtered through her tears. One of the medics on scene ran towards her, but Momo quietly ushered them away. Shoto leaned over Kairi's sobbing figured, rubbing her shoulders soothingly.

"Shoto..." she coughed.

"Shh, shh... I know," he whispered brushed pieces of her hair away. "We'll do everything we can, I promise. I'll help you with anything you need."

"I don't want them out of my life."

"They won't be. They have seen their sister. Oscar may not remember later but Vivian will. And she is going to forever remember when she and her sister partnered up to defeat a villain. That isn't something a child forgets. She will remember it fondly and your courage and heroism will inspire her to stand up for others. In fact, you may have even given her tools to speak out against anything negative her mother may say or do."

"Maybe... but what if I can't help them? From halfway across the world?"

"No what ifs, Kairi. We will do everything, I promise." He kissed the top of her head. "You're my partner through everything, and I will not let you go through this alone."

"None of us will," Izuku said, crouching before her and offering a hand. A bud of hope sprouted through the fragments of her heart. A smile flickered onto her face as she looked at her friends standing before her. She took Izuku's hand and he and Shoto helped her stand back up. Tsu leaned over to give Kairi a tight squeeze, a symbol of the support she was willing to give as well.

"Let's head back to the dorm," Tsu said. "We have a lot of questions and I'm sure you have hundreds of things to talk about."

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**I know it's depressing to think about the kids returning to their mother but unfortunately that's the truth of the matter, that's likely what would happen in the situation - in fact that is what happened. Tabitha is based on the parent of someone close in my circle and that's kinda what happened, with some embellishments. Custody battles are not clean cut and proving abusive homes are never easy to do. Anyway, I hope this ending didn't leave you too depressed because there's some beautiful, exciting stuff coming up soon!**


	90. A Briefing and Preparations

**I know this is becoming a common content warning for this fic but it's My Hero Academia, and MHA has no shortage of this type of thing. So CW: This chapter contains a discussion regarding parental abuse, negligence, and the foster care system. May be upsetting for some.**

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The phone call to her father stretched over an hour, and most of it consisted of insults and anger towards his ex, before quickly becoming concerned for his daughter's well-being. Somewhere between his wrath and worry, Kairi had been able to pull out the missing information he had learned from his coworkers after Aizawa helped with the questioning. Kairi had been able to fill her father in on the details that happened at the museum previous to her siblings and mother being taken, and expressed her concern for the children's safety. After several promises he would look into it as much as he could and do everything within his power, he finally hung up the phone. She pulled it away from her face to confirm that her friends had blown up her phone with messages. She tossed it to the bed and decided they could wait – she was about to take the longest shower ever and enjoy every minute of it.

It had just hit midnight by the time she changed into her purple t-shirt and duckling pajama pants. Kairi quickly ran a hair dryer over her damp hair, touching the fading blue strip in front of her face. The color was so pale that it was an almost sickly green. She continued to stare, waiting for that desperate need to recolor it to rise again. Of course, the color was irritating – it was a vile shade and would need to be covered. Eventually. But it had been quite awhile since she was okay with allowing it to stay as it was, letting it hang loose and off color. It seemed so silly, to let something like a strand of hair bother her so much. It was just hair. There were other things in the world that demanded her attention, things worth stressing over.

The moment surprised her as she felt the matter almost literally fall from her shoulders. Did most people experience things like this the same? Little things, so insignificant, they didn't fixate on them so much? Her reflection mirrored her relaxed smile as she settled into her relief. It was so small, but it was so freeing to let go of even one thing her anxiety had long held to. Maybe, little by little, the same would happen with everything else.

Her phone buzzed again, a question from Shoto if she was okay and did she still want to meet. She sent off another message, that she would only be two more minutes. One more look at her appearance satisfied her; she was still clearly exhausted but it wasn't as if anyone expected her to not be. She took in a deep breath, strength becoming easier to find. The girl stepped into her slippers before leaving her dorm.

Gentleness grew in her heart when she entered the common area finding more than just Shoto and a couple of her friends. The small commotion told her Shoto had tried to deflect the questions no matter how quickly they came at him. "Wait for Kairi," she caught him saying just before she stood before the crowded couch. Momo and Shoto shifted apart, inviting her to sit between them. But Yuga jumped up from his spot on the floor before she could find a spot, spinning her into a hug.

"_Mon cheri_," he said. "It's so good that you're safe."

"Thank you," Kairi chuckled, returning his hug. He released her, allowing her to sit. Taking up other spaces on the couch, including the arms, were Tsu, Iida, and Uraraka. Izuku sat on a foot rest by the couch. Aside from Yuga, several students also sat in a ring on the floor, facing Kairi. Ashido and Hagakure sat on the far side from her, Mineta next to them and then Jiro, Sato, with Kaminari the closest to the couch. Bakugo, surprisingly was also present though he stood some feet away, closer to the kitchen. Kirishima lingered closer to the action; likely his interest in what happened was part of what encouraged Bakugo to be present.

"How much did you tell them?" Kairi asked, trying not to notice how Shoto casually laid an arm across her shoulders, in front of all their classmates and friends.

"Almost nothing. They know your siblings and mom-" she stiffened. "-were taken at the museum, but that's all that happened. Except for Tsu, and Yaomomo, and Midoriya of course."

"They wouldn't give us any details either," Ashido said sadly. Kairi relaxed, resting her palms comfortably against her legs. Following a soothing exhale, she told them the events that had occurred from the start of their morning to the argument in the museum, being slapped by her mother, the fake guard, and the abduction. She briefly went over how they tracked Iwata, still posing as a fake guard and using his quirk to elude them, and followed them into the storage warehouse below the museum. Their attention captivated, she grew confident in divulging more details about the fight, her sister's part in it, and how it was finally won. Up to the moment the police and ambulance arrived, and telling off her mother. Having finally run out of any spare bits of information to share, Kairi slumped against the back of the couch, relaxing her shoulders again.

"So this whole thing was seeking revenge for what you did to his boss at QuirKey?" Iida asked. Kairi nodded. Bakugo made a sputtering noise, causing the class to look over at him.

"Pretty weak villain stuff," he scoffed. "They also sound pretty weak if they were so easily won over by a quirk as pathetic as yours." Kairi glowed, smirking.

"You used to say my quirk was dangerous, Bakugo."

"Is that so?" he gruffed, hiding his expression from them. Kairi eyed him with amused suspicion, but let the issue go.

"What did your dad say?" Shoto asked, discreetly rolling pieces of her hair around and between his fingers.

"That's exactly what it seems to be – revenge. Discrediting me, shaming me... whatever it took to take me out of the picture and suffer in a similar way that Kurisu did. In Iwata's mind, all of this is my fault and I did it for selfish gain. And he believes that I did more damage than good, impeded the good of science, and took away the chance of a happy life for some of those patients."

"Maybe some of them would have had a better life," Iida said. "But taking away the rights and safety of some in order to give it to others isn't ethical, nor is it progress."

"I know," Kairi said. "I mean, I do hurt for those who truly just wanted to be accepted. And for those who were just trying to work a job to bring home a paycheck who may not have known what Kurisu was doing. But I don't feel guilt over it." She turned to look at Shoto, a smug smile showing his teeth. "I really don't. I executed it poorly but what I did was right. And then Iwata just committed further crimes; trespassing, stalking, using his quirk for nefarious purposes. All to hurt me. He was banking in part on my mental health being my undoing and doing everything he could to aggravate it."

"Clearly someone didn't stalk you close enough," Hagakure expressed proudly. "Otherwise he would have know you're so much stronger than that!"

"What's going to happen to your siblings?" asked Mineta. That weight returned in her gut.

"I... I don't know. They're heading back the day after tomorrow. Shoto is an eyewitness, and so were the guards they talked to to her hitting me. It's enough to make them watch her closely around her children and send word to the law enforcement in Keswick to keep an eye on her, that's all that can be done at this point. She doesn't have custody of me so it's not like they can take a child away from her, and unless Keswick is told or has reason to believe she's unfit to have them in her care, there's nothing that can be done."

"That's not stopping us though," Shoto continued. "After today's events and the time her siblings have spent with her, I don't see those kids easily accepting Tabitha won't let them speak with their sister."

"Vivian is stronger than I ever was at her age," Kairi said, nodding.

"No," said Shoto. "She just had a strong sister for inspiration." Her spirit flew at his words, heat rising to her face.

"Sucky way to celebrate your birthday though," Jiro said. "That's tough. Sorry."

"It wasn't all bad," Kairi said. "I mean my actual birthday isn't until tomorrow, but at least I go into it knowing I got to spend some time with my brother and sister."

"I feel bad," Shoto said, shifting his gaze over to Momo and Yuga quickly. "Because they were supposed to be here I never properly planned anything for you for tomorrow."

"It's fine, honestly..." Kairi dismissed as Shoto kept looking in Momo and Yuga's direction awkwardly. "All I really want right now is just to sleep. I'm surprised so many of you stayed up to hear me talk. It's so late."

"People are going to gossip," Jiro said. "So it's just better to hear it straight from the source."

"We also were concerned," Uraraka said sweetly. Warmth continued to flow into Kairi as the compliments and concern flowed in. Her muscles ached as she repositioned herself, her body's screams for sleep feeling louder.

"I appreciate it, very much," she said. "But I don't think I can stay awake any longer, really I can't." As she rose, much of the class stood with her. Four or five of them passed her by, patting her back and nearly all the girls gave her hugs before they made their way to their dorms. Sluggishly, Kairi swung her arms as she headed up the stairs. Shoto paused, shyly giving her chaste kiss before she ascended up the stairs. Passing the first level before disappearing from sight, Shoto sighed heavily and turned to those remaining by the stairs: Yuga, Momo, Tsu, Izuku, and Iida.

"Okay. Hopefully every stressful happenstance and anything that could go wrong is now out of the way," he said. "We only have a few more days to pull this off. Is everyone still in agreement to staying up another hour?"

"_Qui!_"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Aye"

"Yes we are!"

"_Ribbit_!"

"Okay... I apologize for keeping you up this late..." Momo shook her head, as if the thought hadn't even occurred to her.

"Okay..." he yawned. "I guess it's time to make some coffee then."

The silence in the kitchen grew louder in the heavy atmosphere. The rushing of the tap water as Mr. Hoshino began on the dishes cut through some of the awkward tension, but it didn't help the feeling that weighed all of them down. Kairi's fork clanked on her plate as she took only the most minuscule bites of her cake. From across the table, Shoto shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He kept rising his eyes from his finished plate to Kairi's downcast expression. Guilt that didn't belong to him rested on his shoulders, begging him to fix the issue so he might see her smile again. Gnawing on his lip, he surrendered to knowing there was nothing that he could do. Shoto slid from his chair and brought his dirty plate over to the sink. Mr. Hoshino smiled as it took it from him, and began to run a brush over it.

"There's really nothing you can do?" Shoto whispered.

"No. I can't," her father answered sadly. "We were able to dispatch a message to child protective services in Keswick, but that's all that can be done. Hopefully they can follow up and they either find nothing and Tabitha's treatment of Kairi isn't at all similar to how she treats those children. That would be the best scenario, of course. The second best is that they take it seriously, follow it up, discover she is unfit to have custody of them and they are taken from her."

"What would happen then?" Shoto asked. He looked across the counter and reached for the clean towel hanging on a hook nearby.

"They would enter a foster system, unless Tabitha's husband decides to split from her. In which case, he could probably get custody but they may still remain together, I don't know."

"If they got adopted, would Kairi ever see them again?" Mr. Hoshino shrugged as Shoto began to wipe a larger plate down.

"That depends on the parents. That little girl, she might talk about it. Kairi's a celebrity now – that's strange to say..." He twitched, unsettled by the notion. "It's more likely than others that she'd be able to. But it's very unlikely we would know any of that would happen unless and until Kairi were to be contacted about staying in contact with her siblings. The police department here has no more connection on this matter, it's being passed to Keswick. And even if it weren't, I'm not allowed to be involved."

"Because it would be too personal?" Mr. Hoshino nodded, passing over a bowl to Shoto. "Say they were removed from Ms. Tradesbury, and they were put into the foster system. And the foster parents were okay with them contacting Kairi and she was able to get in touch with them regularly."

"Well, that would certainly be a dream, wouldn't it?" Naoko Hoshino chuckled. "I'm not sure how likely that is, the foster system and child protective services isn't the easy solution or the light at the end of the tunnel as movies and TV sometimes show it to be but um... I guess... if that were to happen, I would be the first to put in my application to adopt them." Shoto paused in the middle of his drying.

"You would?"

"Of course. My disdain is for their mother, not for the children. And Kairi deserves to grow up around her siblings. And as I said, I always wanted more children. Tabitha was the one against it. Looks like she wasn't after all. She just didn't want another Kairi. Maybe if there had been another Kairi, the world would be a better place..." He passed the last plate over to Shoto, who continued to dry slowly. He craned his neck to look back over at Kairi, who had barely eaten through a third of her birthday cake.

"I don't know how to cheer her up," he said. "I'm not sure this is something I can make her feel better about."

"I know. It's definitely one of the worst blows Kairi's had since her mother left. But she got through that and she didn't even have any of the things she has now. She didn't really have a single friend and now she has plenty, and she has you. And she's so much stronger and confidant than she ever was. She'll get through it, Shoto. If this happened a year ago I would have worried but now... I truly believe she'll be okay. I've seen you make her smile more times this year than she has almost her entire life. And that uh... big party you got planned this weekend? It will help her a lot. It's coming at a good time."

"That's my hope," Shoto said.

"You're a good kid. With you around, Kairi will be able to get past this easily." Mr. Hoshino pulled the drain and took Shoto's towel from him, drying his hand. "I know it's a school night but... you're allowed to stay til midnight. Just make sure you or Kairi come and get me by then and I'll take you back to school. I'll stay out of your way and let you have your space til then."

"Thank you Mr. Hoshino." The man nodded and stepped away from the kitchen. Shoto sat back over by Kairi, taking a hold of her hand.

She raised her head, eyes still tired and puffy from emotion. Everything in her just seemed to settle into an emptiness, devoid of even gut wrenching misery.

"I'm sorry this has turned out to be a terrible birthday." She chuckled, traces of mirth pulling at her lips finally.

"It's really not that bad, even with the insanity yesterday." He cocked his head curiously.

"How is that?"

"I got to spend my actual birthday with two people I care very much about, and my phone has blown up with messages from my friends wishing me a happy birthday. And I know I have siblings who wanted more than anything to spend it with me. Do you know what a difference that is from previous years? It's just hard to not feel... down, despite that."

"It's okay to feel down," he told her quietly. His arm slipped around her back, pulling her closer to him. "There's nothing wrong with how you feeling. But I promise you won't feel this way forever."

"I know," she said, reaching to take a bigger bite of her cake this time. She wrinkled her nose and then set her fork back down. "So that's the real reason I was taking my time eating this. I love my dad but..."

"There's a reason you're the better cook?" Shoto asked. Kairi nodded, swallowing harshly. "Your dad gave me til midnight. Why don't we find another one of your movies or shows you so badly want to force on me and eat our weight in the sweets your dad didn't make?" Kairi perked up, running quickly from the table to the cupboard. While she was distracted, Shoto pulled out his phone, reading through the lengthy details Momo had recently sent him before replying.

_That sounds good, thank you very much. And your parents know I'll be there? _\- Shoto.

_Yes, they know all the details and so do the staff. The driver will come get you and the others once he drops off Kairi and I at the mall. Anything that doesn't get done tomorrow Yuga, Tsu and I can work on later but you have to work quickly. I can't imagine Kairi will want to linger in the shops long. She prefers to shop online versus being in actual stores. - _Momo.

_I'll try to work as fast as I can but it's more important to me than ever that this meets everything Kairi wants. -_Shoto.

_We have Aoyama. He won't settle for anything less than perfection. (winky face) –_ Momo.

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**I feel like it's been forever since I updated, I've been pulled left and right with work 2-3 more chapters left, though, I promise I won't abandon you when it is so close to the end!**


	91. Dress to Impress

**I am legit getting emotional as this comes to an end. I have spent so long and so much time on this fic. Have some good friendship and fluff before the end :)**

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As usual, Kairi tensed slightly and held herself when they walked through the mall's entrance, but her breathing remained even and she had protested very little when Momo strongly suggested they go inside. Her attention was immediately stolen by the smells of the bakery. Willing to let her waste as much time as possible, Momo happily agreed to stopping by so she could pick up something to snack on. Soothed by the sweet bread roll Kairi chewed on, she allowed Momo to guide her through the crowds and lead her towards a series of higher end clothing stores.

"I don't understand why I can't just wear something from my closet, it's not like Shoto cares what I wear. I've worn pajamas around him and it's not like that it took away his interest in me," said Kairi, fully convinced they were shopping for a White Day date.

"Well, of course he's going to think you're lovely no matter what," Momo said. "But it's more about you, and if you show up to your date wearing a t-shirt and jeans you'll be upset."

"I wasn't going to be wearing jeans," she said. "I have dresses."

"You want something nice."

"Then why can't he just tell me where he's taking me? Then I would know how to dress." Momo slid a hand across her face.

"Because this is how romance works Kairi."

"Overrated," she teased, tearing into her bread again. Happily distracted by her dessert, Kairi allowed Momo to pull her along and soon they were in a brightly lit store with a high ceiling and articles of clothing that must have cost her father's monthly pay alone. The girl looked up for a moment for her pupils to dilate in both shock and wonder at the prestige of the store. To silence her gasp, she pushed the last of her food into her mouth as Momo pulled her over to a section of dresses suited more to her age group.

"Anything you want. I'm paying and because I know you'll argue, think of this as my birthday present to you."

"Birthday presents are like movies or books or a game or something! This is..." She flipped the price tag of a bright blue dress near her. "Worth an entire month's groceries! And this is a cheap one!"

"Well maybe I happen to think you're worth more than what these dresses are," Momo said defiantly. Kairi's hands squished her own cheeks, scrunching up her grin into her deep blush. The compliment raced through her heart.

"Momo stop it, you're going to make me want to kiss you."

"Well, as long as Shoto's okay with it," she winked.

"Nah, I don't need his permission," Kairi said, reluctantly stepping between a row of dresses. She pulled at the length of one, purple and bedazzled, unsure how she felt about it. "Soo what am I looking for, I guess? Is there like a theme I'm going for? Am I going to a modest dinner and therefore should for something more sophisticated?" She pulled at the sleeves of a conservative black down, with a high collar and sleeves. "Am I attending an opera?" She drifted around to a long light blue dress, with a few beads collected around the bust and spaghetti straps. "Is it a tropical occasion?" She gagged at the sight of a pink and green gown, covered with a pattern of large flowers. Then she smirked, walking around to a mannequin sporting a burgundy gown with a slit down the front to show off plenty of skin, and asymmetrical skirt that suggested a little more beyond the knee. "Or would dressing in a saucy be expected? Please say it's the saucy one."

"Ultimately it's up to you," Momo said nervously. "But I would veer away from the saucy one. You probably don't want that."

"A slit in the leg?"

"You probably don't want that either. You'll be in public, if that helps." Heat blazened her face and she let go of the more scandalously styled dress.

"Saucy dress is out then."

"Pick what you would want. If you could choose the style, any dress you want," Momo said. Kairi lowered her glare, transmitting the message that she didn't do well with uncertainty. "Okay how bout this... pick something you would want to wear in... a fairy tale."

"Ooh! Like a literal ball gown?" Nervously, Momo nodded. Kairi's eyes brightened with her energetic glow.

"If I had a little more time I may have been able to connect you with someone who could have custom made something, but..."

"Na, na, na, na, it's fine!" Kairi interrupted, suddenly bouncing through the rows of dresses and examining ones she found promising. Humming, she thoroughly looked and occasionally stopped to hold one up to her frame.

"You can go a little slower..." Momo said. "We have plenty of time."

"What if I end up finding one I like that's really expensive, I mean really expensive, like the price of my house?" Kairi asked with horror.

"This is a store in the mall, Kairi, not a designer shop frequented by celebrities heading to the red carpet," Momo chuckled. "But yes even then I would. Pick your heart's desire." The bottom of her gut whipped to the top of throat, her friend's touching words spurning waterworks. Kairi shot back over to Momo, squeezing her in a suffocating embrace.

"You are a beautiful, lovely person and you are too perfect."

"Because I'm buying you a dress?" Momo squeaked with disbelief, patting her back. "That's exaggeration."

"You're my best friend and I love you." As Kairi held her tighter, the apples of her cheeks flooded with pink. Momo touched her chin to the top of Kairi's head, before laughing warmly and pushing her back into the dresses.

"And I love you too. Now get going bestie, and find the one that makes your heart sing." Visibly fluttering, Kairi sailed back through the rails, repeating the same process of holding several dresses up to herself. Momo followed close behind, pausing now and then.

The pattern or feel of a fabric would catch Kairi's eye and most of the time once she got a look of the cut of the collar, or the style of sleeves across the shoulders she would put it back. It was exhilarating to be able to pick through dresses and choose one that was truly her favorite, and freeing to not have to worry about the price. A shorter green one caught her attention and the way the skirt twirled inspired elation in her – but it didn't have the fairy tale feel that Momo suggested. And when it came to choosing a cute night club dress or a ball gown fit for a fantasy, she preferred the ball gown anyway. So she continued, brightly flitting until a deep purple slid over her arm. Kairi stopped, rolling onto her tip toes to reach the hanger and pulling it from its neighbors. She glided her hand across the neckline before gathered the dress in her arms and running over to where Momo had paused, some distance behind her.

"This one," she said, shoving the dress with hope at her friend. "I don't even want to look anymore, I want this one."

"This one...?" Momo asked with surprise. Uncertainty crept back into Kairi as she looked back over the dress, questioning her decision.

"What, is there a problem with it?"

"No, no, not at all!" Momo quickly refuted. "Of course not, I just usually see you drawn to lighter colors." Kairi bit her lip sheepishly.

"Well... the dress I wore for the festival was dark and I kind of thought it suited me once I got used to it. And the lighter colors were to give myself a certain kind of appearance more often than not. I don't really care so much about that anymore, especially not with Shoto. I want something that I truly like, that is in my interest and mine alone." Momo grinned, and placed an arm through hers, leading her towards the fitting rooms.

"Then let's see how it looks on you." Excitedly, the girls clamored into one together. Momo helped her step into her and the two of them together caught their breaths when they look in the mirror.

"Kairi, I think you have to get it," she whispered.

"I think I do too," she awed. Momo gestured to the front of the dress.

"The... neckline," she coughed. "It's not too much? For you, I mean. I just want to make sure you're comfortable. With being in public and what not."

"I mean, this wouldn't be appropriate for school or visiting a shrine but it's not anymore revealing than what you'll see a lot of women wearing outside, especially in the summer," Kairi shrugged. "It's not so much I'm uncomfortable with it."

"Then let's get it. Todoroki is going to fall to his knees and propose right there when he sees you!" Her friend cackled brightly, but the teasing comment drained the color from Kairi's face as she began to pull her arms out of the dress.

"Wait wait wait... all this pomp and circumstance and dressing me and pretty and whatnot... that's not what's going on here is it?!" Kairi squeaked, emotion swelling her throat. "That's... no... that's insane, I mean we're only sixteen and I haven't even...!"

"Nononono!" Momo said hurriedly. "Poor choice of words, I'm sorry, of course not. Todoroki isn't stupid and I know both of you are far from being ready for that! I know things are going great but... no, it was a figure of speech, I am sorry, I can absolutely tell you without a doubt that isn't what's happening!" Kairi's chest loosened as Momo's words assured her. She finished changing and carefully draped the dress over her arm. Her friend watched her suspiciously, inhaling deeply before speaking again. "Out of curiosity... _how_ far into the relationship are you?"

Kairi's pulse stopped, hoping she wasn't asking what she thought she was. "I... I mean I guess I'm unsure? For a while we weren't sure where we were status-wise in fact officially calling ourselves a couple for like almost two months but we've been _involved_ longer than that and knowing what I know now we've kinda been into each other since the beginning of the fall-"

"No, no, I know," Momo interrupted again, stopping her. "I just mean how serious is it?"

"S-serious?" Kairi began to fiddle with the fabric of the dress in her arms, the question making her uncomfortable."I mean... isn't that you know... private what we do? In our own time? If-if it's so important for you to know, then no... no that is to say, we haven't come close to having-"

"Oh my god, no! No!" Momo shouted, drifting into a light laugh. "No, I'm not asking that at all! I'm saying... feelings wise. How do you _feel_ about Todoroki now, after it's been some time?" Kairi relaxed before forcing herself back into that thought process, considering her own feelings. He made her feel warm even when he wasn't trying to, and encouraged her to be the best he always knew she could be. He helped her to be more of herself, and not be so afraid. And he did it all just by remaining beside her, never running, and cheering her on every step of the way. He never pushed, and only ever offered options. In his presence, she always felt free to be exactly who she wanted and that freedom made her want to push herself further, to be better. Without him, it may have taken so much longer to reach that point. There didn't seem to be a single thing she wouldn't fight against, or through, even things that scared her in order to make him happy and protect him. The answer to question had been there a long time, and she had simply covered it. Poorly, of course, but she had refused to look at it. However, finally being forced to examine her emotions and consider their meaning finally cleared the fog of any questions. Bakugo had been right long ago, and she knew it even then.

"I love him," she answered meekly. Momo nodded, unsurprised. "You knew. Obviously. You could feel my feelings."

"I can, but that's not why," Momo said, walking alongside her as they made their way towards the check out. "The way you are together, the way you look at him and how you glow when he looks at you... I didn't need to feel your emotions to know it."

"Is it obvious to everyone?" Kairi asked with a wince.

"Some. Aoyama noticed it right away. Tsu knew. Iida is pretty sure, but he's not confidant. I don't think Midoriya or Uraraka have any clue but they still haven't figured out their own feelings for each other." Kairi snickered. "Half the class can tell, I think. It wouldn't surprise me if Aizawa and All Might knew as well. Todoroki doesn't know, if that's what you're wondering."

"When do I tell him?" Momo shrugged, waving to the man behind the counter.

"That's up to you, and when you're comfortable but..." she gestured to the dress. "White Day might be a good opportunity."

"Higher! Higher! _Non, non, non_!" Yuga growled, waving his arms aggressively as Tsu and Izuku fought to hang long silver swaths of fabrics on windows and creeping down the walls. They awkwardly stood from their distant ladders, pausing as their friend instructed them, "We want this to look like a palace, _qui_? A palace for our princess."

"Aoyama, Kairi really won't be that picky," Shoto reminded, flipping through a small notepad he held.

"I know! And it's tragic! It needs to be perfect!"

"Bakugo, you're ahead," Jiro called from the head of the marble stage in the corner of the Yaoyorozu ball room. "Slow down a bit." The blonde boy rolled his eyes but slowed his movements on the two drums in front of him.

"I thought we were trying to practice for a damn party, but this sounds like a funeral march," he growled.

"It's a ballad, and it's Kairi's favorite The Screaming Room Floor song," Ashido corrected.

"I have a Jiro-approved playlist of faster paced songs," Shoto said, passing by the stage. "Trust me, Kairi would also go nuts if we didn't play something she could bounce too."

"Do I really have to wear the elf getup?" Bakugo said, glaring at a discarded package near his feet.

"It's not an elf getup," Iida said, uncoiling a roll of festive lights from a box. "It's just a standard, basic shirt and trousers. Just a generic set of clothes commonly worn in fantasy or medieval settings. It helps with the illusion."

"Just for one night," Kirishima added as he passed by. "Just for a few hours for Kairi's birthday."

"Ughhh... fine!" Bakugo groaned, beating angrily against his drums.

"Todoroki, did you have an idea where you wanted the heraldic banners to go?" Tsu ask, holding a bundle of deep green fabric in her arms. Shoto looked up from his notepad, stressing creasing his forehead.

"Uh... above the banquet table over there and I guess..." His eyes fell to Iida, looking for help. He puffed his chest, proud to be of service before taking the bundle from Tsu.

"I think around the frame of the entry way would look splendid! Here, I'll help you hang them Tsu."

Shoto rolled his shoulders back with relief. Event planning was far from his forte, he almost wished he were fighting villains. Trying to rush into a party of this caliber especially after the last few days was wearing on him from within. Trying to delegate tasks in a short time with the buried need for everything to be perfect... he was beginning to understand a little of how every day might have felt for Kairi, at least a bit. Momo would have been so much better at doing this, and she would have made it look so much better. Part of him wondered if maybe things would have been better if Tsu had taken her with Momo staying behind.

"Todoroki?" He pulled himself out of his head at the sound of Hagakure's voice. She carried a box filled with vintage looking tankards. "Did you want these with the rest of the dishes?"

"Uh, no..." he said, slowing his breath to reorder the busy traffic in his head. "Spread them out across the tables. Make sure every setting gets one."

"'Kay!" It sounded like she was smiling. "And don't stress too much, all right? You're putting so much love into this, she'll definitely love it!"

"Uh... I am?" he said nervously, the word "love" causing him to flinch.

"Yeah, it's easy to tell!" She walked away, heading for the nearest wooden table. He looked back down at his notepad, feeling relieved as he crossed off two items. Thanks to all the help they were getting, it looked as if things were moving along faster than anticipated. Kaminari walked through the door, carrying four decently sized candelabras. Judging by the discomfort in his face, they appeared to be quite heavy. Following behind was Mineta, carrying two candelabras. Sweat beaded his face as they shook in his arms.

"Will Hoshino not be upset that Mineta is attending the party?" Tokoyami stopped to ask as he carried a couple of closed boxes.

"Yeah, I considered not including him," Shoto admitted. "She hasn't gotten along too well with him. But I was concerned that if I invited the whole class, it might be an issue if he wasn't there. So Momo decided to play spy for me and mentioned the possibility of holding an end of the school year party. I mean it was a code for this party, to my knowledge she's not actually planning on one. Though it might be something we would enjoy, thinking about it... Anyway, she expressed worry that Mineta might misbehave and to not invite him. Kairi got upset, and said if the whole class was going to be there then Mineta should be there. When Yaomomo further asked why, Kairi said that despite his gross actions she believed he had the ability to change into a better person. He might need to learn the hard way, but it's there. She also said it's clear he does care about his classmates. Based on that, I felt that she might prefer it if he was included."

"And how do you feel about him being here?" Shoto shrugged.

"Everyone knows how he is, and everyone is also willing to kick him aside and out of the party if he tries anything with any of the girls. Don't forget – Kairi's dad is a cop." He smirked.

"Maybe what you're doing for Hoshino will serve as an example to Mineta how to treat a woman."

"Yeah, maybe," Shoto sighed, as Tokoyami walked away. He flipped to the third page of his notepad, reluctantly reviewing the other tasks that were still far from done. He scanned through them, his throat clenching when he reached the last task. His palms stuck to the paper, his apprehension rising to the surface.

_Confess my real feelings to Kairi_.

Nothing on that list seemed to be a hardest task than that.

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**Okay. I can't believe it. But the next chapter is the last chapter. The final chapter. See you next update. I love you :)**


	92. Wishes and Dreams

**And here it is. The final chapter of this story. Please read and enjoy :)**

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Happy nerves bobbed within her stomach as she kept looking over at Momo's vanity. After a quick good morning to Shoto, she had pushed her back into her dorm room and forced her to shower. Then she dragged her halfway across town to take her to get her hair done – despite Kairi's protests that she really didn't need anything fancy done. When she had finished, Kairi struggled to not constantly peer at herself in any reflection she saw. Soft waves had been put into her hair before they were tucked and pinned near the base of her skull. The coronet placed around her head and woven through bits of her hair looked like gold-plated vines, patterned with a small flower here and there. It was much more elegant than anything she had ever done to her hair. Whatever date Shoto was planning couldn't really be worth this much trouble, could it?

"Annnddd, there!" Momo said, pulling a mascara wand away from her friend's face. "I think we can call that done, what do you think? A little lip color and we should be good?" Kairi turned back to the mirror, covering the gasp that tried to escape from her mouth. Her heart leapt when she caught her image again. Momo had spent the last thirty minutes applying creams, powders, liquids, and other cosmetics to her face. Staring back at her was a semblance of who she was, with a similar jaw line and eye color. In her place was a glamorous woman, eyes outlined in dramatic silvers and violet. Her eyelashes appeared to have tripled in length and volume and her skin glistened with smooth finish and a touch of glow. Momo swept a berry colored lip crayon over her lips before she finally made her stand.

"I don't understand why you are putting so much fuss into this," Kairi said, but Momo shushed her quickly. She entered her closet, heading deep into it by the sound of her diminishing footsteps. Returning, she pulled Kairi's chosen dress out of its protective bag, being mindful of its delicacy.

"You'll find out soon," she promised, the light catching a twinkle in her eye. She pulled at the lacings at the back of the dress, loosening the gown to ready it for her.

Something in Kairi flopped as she undressed and changed into a strapless bra. Her throat punched into her mouth, but it was only partially unpleasant. The uncertainty of it all was uncomfortable, but as Momo revealed tiny pieces of information she began to realize how big this plan, this date idea of Shoto's was. Normally such things would inspire a form of dread in her, but the lengths to which he was going embraced her more dearly than she ever though she could be. It truly was impossible to not love this man. The further they went into the night, the more determined she was to finally tell him.

With the last pull of the corset ties, the dress smoothed against every one of her curves and gripped her form with a perfect comfort. Feeling its material against her skin and listening to the _swish_ of her skirt as she walked boosted her confidence instantly. She wanted to walk slowly, listening the movements of her dress. When she turned to face Momo, she was grasping her face, speechless and misty-eyed.

"Take a picture!" Kairi said with child-like vigor. Eagerly, she nodded and she held up her phone before tapping the screen several times. Kairi turned back, finally taking a look at herself in her full length mirror.

The reflection wasn't her, it couldn't be her. The girl who looked back at her was some descendant of royalty, and belonged to a much more prestigious class. The dress was a deep purple, just a few shades away from a navy blue. It fell in several layers of tulle, the skirt full and wide around her ankles. Around the waist were hundreds of glittering stones and crystals that tapered off and vanished halfway down the skirt. The tulle continued to gather around the bust in a sweetheart form, leaving just a peek of decolletage. There was a slight fluff to the fabric where it hung just slightly off the shoulder, leaving her arms bare. Kairi spun in a circle, looking again at the way the dress hugged her.

"My goodness, I'm really going to give that boy a heart attack," she whispered, pleased with how she looked. Momo choked on the laughed that sputtered out of her.

"That you are," she agreed, before coming up behind and draping a necklace that was crafted in a similar fashion to her coronet. Kairi picked up the iris earrings from Momo's vanity, slipping them in. Momo helped to tie up her silver and white lace modern Victorian heels. Momo insisted on the thicker heel version of them, saying she was going to want the support. One last look at herself, still struggling to believe it was her, and Kairi was finally ready to head out.

"Please tell me whatever is going on the first thing that's going to happen is food." She painfully looked at the time on her phone. "I was hoping to have eaten supper by now."

"Yes, don't worry. You'll get food," Momo said, taking her hand. Her lips twitched, as if she struggling to contain herself. She tapped against Kairi's phone. "You can leave that behind."

"Now that's suspicious. Where am I going where I won't need my phone? Shoto is planning on whisking me away and having us live off the grid is he? Though I do think the idea of not being tracked is rather attractive."

"What kind of place would you not need a phone?"

"Uhh... somewhere where you don't want distractions or don't want to know what time it is? Something that's too much fun to need a phone?" Momo smirked whimsically, leading her out of her bedroom.

"While that's true... think about what kind of _world_ wouldn't need a phone."

"Um..." Momo led towards the stairs, stopping at the edge of the landing. "A world many years ago? A historical world? A _fantasy world_? Is Shoto taking me to a convention!?"

"Hmm, that might the closest guess you've had," Momo chuckled. "Why don't you head down those stairs and find out, Kairi?" Her heart exploded, anticipation impossible to restrain anymore.

"What...?" was all she managed before she pulled at her skirts and carefully descend the wide, polished alabaster steps. Momo's staircase was large, growing grander the further it extended. Feeling fancy and like the moment called for it, Kairi rested her hand against the expertly crafted banister, moving at a slow rate that befitted such elegance. When she spotted that head of red and white hair waiting at the bottom of the grand staircase, her gut collided with her throat.

Shoto was dressed like a dashing adventurer in one of her favorite stories or films. He wore a black brocade doublet, a pattern of thin silvery whorls stitched around it. It fit snug against his chest, allowing his white linen sleeves to billow freely. The doublet fell just a little past his hips, stopping just over his strikingly tight silken trousers that hugged his legs. She would have burst out laughing at the extreme lengths he was willing to go to for her, if she weren't also red with embarrassment and delight. To complete the look, he also wore finely polished black boots, stopping just under his knees.

When he heard the swish of fabric on the stairs, Shoto whirled around quickly. He swore the stopping of his heart was audible when he felt it fall against his rib cage. Kairi was always beautiful, and the dress didn't add to that. However, something about the gown and the elegance to which she was made up with that seemed to build her confidence. The misting of her eyes, sparkled in the bright lights overhead, shocked and grateful as she began to fully realize what was happening. Her confidence and joy, pride and poise shown more vibrantly than many other times he could recall. Within all of it, something about it helped to pull forward the pieces that always resided in her. As she slowly descended the steps, her strength resonated, her joy deepened, and her confidence grew, her pride heightened in a healthy manner. Perhaps Momo's handiwork helped expose all of that, and that was what helped make her look so stunning. Everything in her personality that made Kairi the way she was just seemed to displayed for the whole world to see, and that was the part he couldn't remove his eyes from.

"What is this...?" she asked through an infectious smile. Her question cracked as emotion welled up in her. Shoto reached for her hand while his eyes danced with wonder at her sight. He briefly delayed in answering her question, unable to wait in kissing her. When he pulled away, he padded a finger at her eyelashes to prevent the tears from smearing her makeup.

"I don't know how you're always so stunning," he said against her ear. "I fear my heart will soon fly out of my chest."

"Good thing I've gotten pretty good at medical training then," Kairi giggled, a shiver running through her bones.

"Why, are you looking for an excuse to tear open my shirt?" he teased. She gasped, turning her red face down from him. He laughed just as she was observing just how tightly fitted his pants were and she had to stare at the door to keep herself from getting redder.

"Oh come on now, you're not going to spend the whole party whispering sweet nothings to each other, are you?" came a jubilant voice from behind them. Kairi looked up and she briefly forgot the boy in front of her. Momo skipped down the steps wearing a sleeveless red gown, slightly ancient Greco-Roman inspired. Kairi still smiled, struck by how gorgeous her friend looked – and how quickly she seemed to have piled her hair on top of her head. However, her confusion on what exactly Shoto was doing for this "date" only continued to grow.

"Shoto what's happening?" she asked.

"I hope you'll forgive me," he said sheepishly. "But this isn't exactly a date."

"It isn't?" she said, though her heart didn't quite fall yet.

"No I... had to use White Day as a cover for what was actually happening. Although, I promise we can still have a belated White Day date if you so wish." Despite being so familiar and comfortable around Kairi, a part of him began to clam up and his palms began to sweat the more he talked. He tugged a little at the collar before wrinkling his nose at his own cheesy action. He looked to Momo who skipped off the bottom step. She walked with Shoto, towards the large double doors that led to the ball room Kairi had only briefly peeked into a couple of times. Shoto and Momo pressed their hands on the finely polished handles of ivory doors. Seemingly unable to both contain their excitement, they exchanged looks. The two of them pulled at the handles at the same time, and Kairi's mouth fell to the floor.

"Welcome to your birthday party," he whispered as she passed. She stepped through a portal to practically a whole other world. Twinkling lights strung across the ceiling, with swaths of gold and silver fabric woven alternating around them. Vines of leaves and greenery draped down the stately walls of the ballroom. The chandelier above them illuminated most of the moderately dim room, with faux candles and the strung lights adding to the effect. Fake plants in the corner also helped to try and hide some of the more modern lamps that were still noticeable, regardless. Half of the room had six old-fashioned wooden round tables surrounded by old, worn chairs. Nearby was a long rectangular table, lengths of cloth and a fine table runner stretched across it. All the tables had some vintage plates and cutlery, accompanied by some steel tankards and goblets. The whole room sparkled with the glamour and spectacle of an enchanted forest combined with imagery of taverns and a royal hall.

Once Kairi's brain finally acknowledged what was all in place, she found her classmates on the end of the room. They burst into an excited uproar, as they ran away from the stage they had gathered at. Unlike most of the room, the stage was very modern in its set-up – drums, guitar, bass, a mic... there seemed to be a whole band waiting to play.

"What is this?" Kairi gasped, reaching to hug Tsu when they crowded met with her.

"Just as I said," Shoto said. "Your birthday party."

"When did you have time to do this?" she shouted, pulling in a few others for tight hugs.

"There was a lot of back and forth on texts and late-night planning after you had gone to sleep. Lots of tired days."

"You shouldn't have done all that!" She scolded, but the smile never faded.

"Well I did, and you can't do anything about it because it's already done and yes, Riri, I will finally get some sleep after this," he teased.

Her emotion finally bursting, Kairi caught him up in a tight embrace, pressing her face into his chest. It all rolled out of her, the joy coming in a tidal wave after a hurricane of disbelief settled.

"You are just so... astounding, and wonderful, and amazing and... I... I can't believe you went and did this!" She blubbered, and then pivoted to look at them. "All of you! This is amazing! You really all worked together to do all this?"

"Shoto, Tsu, Yaoyorozu, and Aoyama were the bulk of it," Iida answered humbly. "But yes, we did all help. Happily."

"Yeah, sorry about taking your romantic evening," Yuga said guiltily. "But we really hoped you wouldn't mind."

"No, I don't this is...!" Words left her as she ran to Yuga to hug him. Still awestruck, she whirled around again to capture in her memory the feeling and the wonder of the room. "This is just amazing! I can't believe you did all of this!"

"It was planned before your mother arrived," Tsu said. "But especially after everything, we really felt you could do with some fun, with people who you know care about you."

"I'm just... in awe, of... everything," Kairi said once again, unable to find one thing in the room to fixate on.

"Well you'd better start believing then!" Kaminari said. "Because we're about to have ourselves a party!" And of course, all the men were dressed in a similar fashion – fantasy, or medieval, and all the girls wore elaborate gowns. Some were more modernized fashions than others but they all put forth an effort to fit into the atmosphere. Even Bakugo, surprisingly, appeared to make himself fit in with the theme. Even more surprising that he turned up for it.

"Perhaps our lady would like to start the evening with a grand feast?" Shoto said, trying as hard as possible to make his speech sound fanciful. Unfortunately the words sounded a little rehearsed and clumsy, but part of that could have been attributed to the nervousness that was gripping him. He coughed, hoping it wouldn't be noticeable. But Kairi only widened her smile and lifted her skirts to run towards the long table.

"I assume I get the regal table, being the lady of honor that I am!" she squealed. Shoto hurried close behind her, rushing to pull out her seat before she sat down. Almost as eager to eat as she, the rest of the crowd took their seats. Momo spoke with a butler who was standing near the corner, and he left the room. In moments, several other members of the staff return to deliver plates of food to them, beginning with Kairi. She thanked the man serving her, who smiled and wished her a happy birthday. Once all food was received, they happily dug into their meal of some kind of spiced beef, an assortment of vegetables, and bread rolls and cheese.

"The food is supposed to be more representative of what was eaten at the time," Shoto whispered. "But don't worry – the cake actually is loaded with sugar and tastes modern."

"Oh good," Kairi laughed, swallowing quickly. "However, I do think the food tastes pretty good. Although with all the salt they used in meat, it's a little easier to imitate medieval dinner dishes than desserts."

Even as they continued through the meal, it was hard to not marvel at the décor of the room and, more than even that, her friends. They had worked hard to get this together quickly, all for her sake. She turned to Momo, and Shoto, knowing full well they were the backbone of everything. Her boyfriend, and her best friend, both of them ready to bend themselves backwards for her happiness. It was always so easy to doubt how people felt about her, as she long convinced she was incapable of being cared about beyond her father. So often her own self-loathing and anxiety would spread lies about what people thought of her and cause her to feel insignificant. It had long been since she felt any of them felt that way. Forever, it had seemed, to get her here. But she truly couldn't shake that soothing warmth of knowing, without a doubt that she was blessed and cared for. Every single one of those people – even Bakugo, she found herself realizing – would jump to her defense if she needed to. Would fight by her side against a villain, work along her side. They would jump into the depths of hell for anything for her, and Shoto would be the one holding onto her as they plunged into the heart. She truly felt endeared to every single one of them, and valued them all. Overflowing with her own love, Kairi raised her water goblet, looking proud and fierce as she stood before them.

"I would like to make a toast," she announced. "This... feels a bit strange but... what the hell, I'm doing it." The room quieted. "I know this is my party but... I still feel I owe you all so, so much. This year has been... something, hasn't it? Crazy and I know I really didn't help much. There were some obstacles that I threw in front of you, but you still didn't reject me. You accepted me as one of your own and through all my complexities and complications, you still worked with me. You all supported me and built me up in ways I didn't know were possible. Because of you all, I am able to become the hero I have always wanted to be, and I know you'll be there to help me continue. You have faith and strength in me when I didn't, and somehow that made me feel it too. So just... thank you for all of this... for your persistence, your support... your care. Thank you for all the hard work you do. Thank you for being my friends. To you!" Shoto's chair whined as he stood, holding his own glass.

"That may be all true," he agreed. "But there are many things you have taught us too. You have reminded us that everything we feel, it's all valid. Feelings play a vital role into what it means to be a hero, and you can't always rely on just your logic and smart decisions to get you through. Sometimes doing what's right means following what your gut is telling you. And you came into this class room ready to accept us all, even when not all of us started off on the right foot with you. Being a hero is much more than swinging fists and pulling people from debris. While that's something we are taught, we don't often remember it. You have more heart and strength in your character than many Pro Heroes seem to carry. You find ways to make us laugh even when you aren't trying. You've become someone we all have grown to care very deeply for and continue to remind us that heroes have to be human just as much as they have to be heroes. And I..." Shoto paused, licking his lips. "Well, of course, I personally am grateful for you..." There was a whistle in the crowd, obviously from Mineta. Shoto blushed. "I know we all are too. Happy birthday, Kairi. To you!"

All of their classmates raised their goblets and shared in a drink. The tears dripped from Kairi's eyes, and Momo reached over quickly to dab at her eyes, avoiding messing with her make-up. The meal finished, and they slowly began to rise from their seats. Jiro was leaping halfway across the ballroom to where the stage was set. Kirishima pulled on Bakugo out of his seat, urging him to head towards the stage. The staff entered the room, cleaning the plates from the table. Kairi graciously thanked them again for all the work they did, still dumbfounded by how pampered she felt. "You're tipping them well right?" she whispered to Momo as they moved closer to the stage. The girl rolled her eyes before assuring her that yes, they were being paid very well. Then the beat for the music began and Momo pushed Kairi towards the stage.

Thus began the long line of every person wanting a dance with Kairi. Of course, Shoto claimed the first dance with her and Jiro played an upbeat older rock tune for them to dance to.

"It's funny, I don't remember you being this good of a dancer," she teased as he whirled her around. It was exciting to see her skirt twirl as she she danced.

"Are you referring to the scandalous murder spree you had?" he joked, pulling her back in.

"Spree? Of course not! I am a dignified woman! I only murdered the one, and I did it for love!" she scoffed, grabbing both his hands again.

"Forgive me, I forgot that only dignified women use funnels to pee!"

"Oh, you're such a scoundrel!" she snorted, spinning around with him until the song ended. Shoto left her side, allowing Yuga to take a dance with her. He graciously asked Hagakure to dance while Yuga showed off his moves by sashaying alongside Kairi.

One by one, the whole class took turns in sharing a dance or two with her. She finally paused, falling over her wobbling legs when the call for cake arrived. It was a simple cake, but it had her name written on it in fancy characters. The group all gave their stomachs time to settle, engaging in a round of parlor games led by Momo and Yuga. Ready to get back onto the stage, their band started up again. Tired, but still too enthusiastic to stop, the group partied on.

Kairi pulled herself out of the center again, saying she needed a short break and a little bit of air. She sluggishly walked towards the open double doors that led to the balcony on the side. Shoto poked out of the small crowd, spying her direction. His heart sputtered as it began to rev with quick decision and urgency. He turned to the stage, raising his brows and nodded. Jiro nodded as the current song came to an end, and she transitioned into a slower one. A few students groaned, but others still moved with awkward excitement. Shoto stepped away, slipping something out from under a chair before hurrying to catch up to Kairi.

The balcony stretched far, reaching over the wide expanse of the Yaoyorozu's perfectly manicured yard. It was unusual to feel so overwhelmed from such positive feelings that she needed to take a break from feeling even them. Kairi leaned against the wall, gazing up at the bright moon, basking the whole world in a silver blue tone. Everything that happened that day was perfection. A small shred of her had been hoping for a private moment with Shoto so she could finally tell him all her feelings, her true feelings. But this was just fine – she knew that she was loved and adored by all her friends, even the ones she would probably always butt heads with. It was a rare, wonderful, amazing feeling to know without a doubt there were people in her life she could rely on for anything. And there were twenty in that room right that moment.

It was the least she ever had to struggle mentally in all her memory. Funny, what a little love and support and care can do for someone's mental health. Of course, it wouldn't be all like that. There were days that would continue to be tough despite knowing she was blessed and surrounded by all the care in the world. But when a day like that came, she would grasp it and cherish it. And even in the days when she did continue to struggle and fight with herself, knowing there were those she could lean on would help make them easier.

Kairi sighed, hugging herself as she felt content in all her knowledge and feelings. Yes, not every day would be like that day, but she could still cherish the perfection that it was.

"So how mad are you at me for lying about our date?" She snapped her eyes open, that cool voice rolling over her and jump starting her heart. Shoto joined her at her spot by the wall. Needy fingers crept towards her hand, and she took them in her own.

"Oh, I am so angry," she said sarcastically. "I am positively livid. I can't believe you deceived me in order to help throw this large bash for me. It's like you don't care about me at all, celebrating my birthday at all."

"Well, you caught me," he joked. "It was a big one too. Will you ever forgive me for such a misstep?"

"Hmm... well, I suppose if you have a really big present for me, that will make up for it?" she taunted, snuggling closer to him. "Considering you've gone the fantasy route, I guess I can expect something like a unicorn or a dragon. Ooh, what about a phoenix?"

"How about something even more magical?" he said. He slipped a thin, square package from behind his back, covered in glimmering green paper. Kairi's eyes popped, accepting the gift with delicacy. Apprehensive for what the package may contain, her finger slipped under the tape and she dropped the festive sheath. In her hands, she held something she knew very well. It was _You Matter to Me, _the same children's book she had given Shoto for Christmas. Except this was the older version, the one with the different pictures she grew up with.

"But I already have-"

"I know," he said. "But it was a gift from your mother when you were young, right?"

"Well... Y-yes..."

"M-maybe it's silly..." he stuttered, his throat growing dry as his stomach wound tighter. "But I can't imagine you... you know... believe that book means much considering who it's from..."

"Yeah."

"I have another gift for you, a better one, I promise!" he rushed to say as she looked it over. "It's just that I thought this one, you know... maybe you should associate it with someone who... does care about you, and well... you _do _matter to me."

"I know," she grinned, reaching for his other hand. The moment adjusted, locking in place. She knew that this was it. The atmosphere was imploring her, practically pushing the words from her mouth. Hope and courage tangoed together into her will. It was actually going to happen. The words were forming in her mind, and rolling out onto her tongue. If it was going to be said, this was the time to say it. But when she opened her mouth, her voice disappeared. Kairi rasped, her body tightening with a trace of panic.

"Are... you all right?" he asked, his eyes crinkling with worry as he took one step closer.

"Uhh... erm, yeah, I... I just wanted..."

"Wait," he said, caressing the pages forward to reach the end of the book. Kairi raised it to her eyes, rereading the familiar words.

"'Most of all, you matter to me because you're you.'" she quoted, the phrase as common to her as her own name.

"And?" he asked. He was growing warm as his nerves ground against his excited terror.

"That's... how it ends," she said, pulling her eyes from the book.

"But is it?"

"Yeah? I mean..." As sure as she was, Kairi still tucked her thumb under the page. She flicked it away and her eyes grew at the addition on the end page of the book. Her copy as a kid, of course, had scribbles she had drawn on it. This one, despite being as old as it was, was free of any blemish put there by a bored child. Save for one; an extra sentence written in a script she knew belonged to Shoto. There was a more cautious and deliberate edge to it, an attempt to make it look neat and presentable, but it was without a doubt, his penmanship.

_Most of all, you matter to me because I love you. - Shoto_

"I don't recall this being in the copy I owned," she attempted to joke, but her voice shook as it rode on the jubilant currents that electrified her body. Her chest burst open, freeing the spirited butterflies that had been dying to roam free. She had long been planning on telling him and yet, he did it first. Of course he felt the same way, because she did. Kairi slammed the book shut. "No. No, I mean... are you sure? Are you sure you love me?"

He winced, trying to ignore the singe of her disbelief. "It's okay if you don't feel the same, Kairi. People move at different paces and it's not like I expect you to-"

"That's not it..." She trembled, the book shuddering in her hands. "Are you sure you really love me and that's it not because... because..." Kairi sniffed, slow to respond. Shoto waited patiently as she took a moment to collect herself. She hugged the book to her chest. "Are you sure it's not because you're feeling how I feel?"

"How... you feel?" He repeated, euphoria growing in him. She nodded.

"Because I love you, Shoto. I do. I might have for a few weeks now? I'm unsure. Maybe I loved you before we were... even dating, I... I don't know when it happened."

"Yes!" he declared, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her quickly. "Yes! I... erm, that is..." The boy rested her back to her feet as a trace of embarrassment came over him. He cleared his throat, dropping his eyes to his feet. "I'm sorry, I got a bit excited. What I mean is... yes, Kairi. Yes I truly, completely, and fully love you. And I know that for a fact. It isn't your influence. I believe we even had this same conversation months ago about feelings, about a desire to kiss you, hug you, or even hold your hand..." He wove his fingers into hers, enjoying to warmth of her palm against his own. "What did I say then?"

"That I just need to trust that you know your feelings..." she whispered in the dark. Kairi stepped forward, placing his forehead to his chest. She could feel it, the rushing of his heart as it patted incessantly. So his pulse was running just as fast as hers, if not faster. Somehow, this washed a soothing tide over her and allowed joy to billow in her core.

Her smile cut into her cheeks so deeply her muscles ached, but she lacked the restraint to stop it. Happy tears finally fell freely. Illuminated by the moonlight, the glow on her face shone like silver, her tears glistening like diamonds.

"Then trust me now, as you always have. I know that I love you. I have loved you, and I have no intention of stopping for a long time." He barely placed the tips of his fingers under her chin, and his eyes dove into the vibrant flaming glow of her eyes.

"I love you too," she said, lost on her own words.

For a moment they stayed, lost in their own magical world. Kairi gently swayed in his arms as the last of her tears dropped onto his sleeves.

"Do you want to head back?" he asked finally.

"Not yet," she exhaled. She released Shoto, but kept a hold of his hand. The two of them neared the edge of the balcony and looked over the manicured yard, tinted blue by the night. "So I mean... is there something spectacular that's supposed to happen now? I mean... so many shows and movies, they play up a love confession like this thing that happens before a relationship begins. Oh, they're in love that means they're together but... it doesn't seem like it happens like that in real world."

"Maybe sometimes," Shoto said, inching closer towards her. "But it does seem like we've followed that slow route of dating first, and then falling in love. Which seems to happen more often in the real world than the media would make you believe."

"Oh god, the media..." she shivered. Incorrectly guessing it was from the cold, Shoto placed an arm across her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Even so, she didn't reject the action. "I just can't get out of my head that Iwata supposedly had pictures he was going to try and blackmail us with. I mean, none of them were scandalous in nature, it's not like we ever... you know... were comfortable with... never mind. The point is they bothered me, and he knew that, and he was also banking on the way the media likes to criticize young females, and a hero at that."

"They've been destroyed now," he reminded, rubbing her shoulders. "The police went into his house the other day and found the photos. Per your father's orders they were all destroyed. They were all taken without your consent anyway, so it doesn't matter what they contained. They will never see the light of day."

"But it's not going to be the last time, is it?" she said. "No matter who I become, no matter what kind of hero I am. I have become a hero, I have become a celebrity, I will always be scrutinized. And then I'm with you and that just adds another layer to it. I'm not saying you won't get criticism, you will but..."

"No, I understand..." He responded, taking a moment to exhale. "And you're right. My name helps protect my status, and just by being male I won't be criticized as much. It will still happen, and I know that. But I know that you face a different kind of criticism and now the public knows that we're this heroic, celebrity couple. Are we going to get media attention for it? Absolutely." Kairi stiffened under him. "But, Kairi... we can keep being as private as you want. We don't have to show any affection outside of our private doors. We don't even have to be affectionate in any way at all."

"Well, that definitely won't happen," she teased, gripping him tighter. "No, I.. I mean obviously I don't believe in being inappropriately affectionate in public but I don't want my fear of how I will be portrayed by the media to cause me to hide my feelings. Not again. Never again. I don't want to hide who I really am. I want to be me, and part of being me is my emotions. Even if I weren't the Emotive Iris or had a quirk connected to my emotions. I want to show who I am, who I spend my time with, who I love and I don't want to hide it. Plus, I mean... maybe the odd picture here and there of us together might piss off your father." Shoto chuckled, looking up at the sky.

"Then, nothing changes. We just keep being who we are. I'll just keep loving you the way you want me to, and I'll do the same to you. On the field, and off, I'll keep being your partner. I'll remain by your side and help you up when you need it. I'll run to protect you and keep you safe, and I trust you to do the same. To help shield me from harm when I need it. I'll continue to fight beside you and run beside you as your equal." Kairi pulled from his hold, pushing against his shoulder to turn and peck at his nose.

"So none of that 'you complete me' nonsense?" she giggled. Shoto rolled his eyes.

"You never needed to date anyone to complete you. By yourself, you are whole. But sometimes it helps to have someone beside you to pick you up on your hard days, and you have done the same when things have been difficult for me."

"No... but you do help me become more of myself," Kairi said. "You help me to the best person I can be."

"That wasn't me alone though. Our friends helped with that as well. And ultimately you were the one who chose to do that."

"Yeah..." she sighed, looking back at the room. "They're good people, I think I'll keep them."

"What about your siblings? Any news about that?" Having changed the subject, her gut dropped. She knitted her fingers in tightly with his own.

"It's too early to say. Last I knew there may be a check done but I'm not confidant anything will be done. As I said, my father can't really know details and it's not like I can get a hold of them. The best we can do is try. Try to use the tools and connections we have and even if we can't... I mean, we at least did everything we could, right?" The drop in her voice hinted to Shoto she wasn't satisfied with that.

"That's what heroes does, Kairi. Everything they can. Not every hero is able to achieve the perfect outcome every time," Shoto said.

"I know, but... they're my siblings..."

"And that's exactly it. They'll grow up knowing you saved them, that they live another day because of you. What did I do, scare a little bit and catch people, and stopped them? You faced your own fears, broke past your anxieties, and saved them. And still, you refuse to stop fighting for them. That's going to mean more to them than you'll ever know. That kind of thing doesn't leave their memories easily."

Kairi raised her head, observing the few blinking speckles that could be seen in the sky.

"I bet the sky is so much clearer in Keswick, and they can see so many more stars there. I like it here, but the light pollution..."

An epiphany straightened her body as her brand new idea split open her mind. Kairi froze before automatically pivoting to face Shoto.

"Shoto... I realize this may sound ridiculous but... we're meant to start on our college entrance papers this spring right?"

"I mean, I wasn't going to consider them until school was actually out, but yeah. Why?"

"Are you still planning on staying in Tokyo?"

"That _was_ my plan... I don't really want to be far away from my family, especially not my mom. Why?"

"That's the thing, I don't want to be far from my family either but my dad... he's had me for sixteen years. I had my siblings for not even two weeks. And I know my dad will be fine without me. It's time for me to spend some time with them."

"But your mother cut off contact with you," Shoto reminded.

"Not legally, she just won't reply and frankly I have no desire to hear or see her again. But if I need to in order to see my siblings again, I will. And it is so much harder to try and see them or do anything for them when I am here. But if I can close the gap as much as possible, maybe the next steps will be easier." Her eyes twinkled as the idea grew and fully manifested. "Shoto, I think I'm going to apply to go to college in England, after our third year."

The wiring in him stopped, executive functions short-circuiting.

"To England?" he repeated.

"Yes!" she said, hoping slightly. "There's one in Liverpool, right? Liverpool is two or three hours by train only from Keswick."

"You mean the University for the Heroic Arts of Liverpool? That one?"

"Yes, that one!" she squealed, growing stronger in her decision the more they talked. "I think I am going to talk to my father about it... he may not be happy about it, but I think he will understand and support my decision... how do you feel about it?"

Worry and disappointment shifted through him. Of course their relationship was still new and he had only just admitted his love for her, and they still had a year and then some considering most Western school years started in late August. Even so, accepting that Kairi would be half a world away from him was laying some heavy damage to his spirit.

"Kairi..." he began slowly as he extinguished the burning temptation to scold her and let his own wants and desires come first. "It's your future, your college experience. It's a great idea, but I think you should consider your options first. You should pick a university you want to go to because you want to study there and not for any other reason. Even if that university... takes you away from here."

"I can study anywhere. I'm taking some medical and nursing classes, while pursuing a degree in Heroic Rescue. The information is the same across the board, I just want an education. Honestly, I was just going to study in Tokyo because I don't care but... I want to be near my family. I want to see Vivian and Oscar grow up and I... I'm sorry if that hurts you because I won't be near you. Unless... you wanted to come with me, but... no. No, I could never ask you to do that."

"No," he said softly. "I need to be here. But if you want to go to England for college than that's exactly what you should do." Shoto smiled, ignoring that it hurt a little as he still considered her being so far away.

"And us? They say that high school romances... they often don't carry into college and especially if we're separated.." The more she considered it, the deeper the pain sank into her chest. Maybe leaving to go to England wasn't actually the best of ideas, not if it broke their chance of a future together.

"Riri... that isn't the important thing," he said. "You shouldn't decide where you go to school based on where you are with me. Your family, your little siblings... they will always be more important than whoever you're dating. If that's what you want to do, I think you should do. Wherever we are in our relationship, I will _always _support your decision in that. I love you, and that means supporting you, helping you, and putting your interests before mine..."

"Without sacrificing your own dreams in life," Kairi added quickly. He smirked, that flicker of love dancing in him again.

"If that means I feel a little pain, I feel a little pain. Our relationship is still new. It really sucks to talk about it in terms that it may not work out but the truth is... we don't know. We really don't." Kairi grimaced at the harsh truth of his words, digging into her core. "But I also know we've been through so much this last year, and we have proven to have so much strength together. That won't go away lightly or easily. It's true that there is a possibility that we... may not make it together, what with changes of life, moving halfway across the world... that's just statistics. But I also believe we have the strength in our faith and trust in each other to work through every obstacle. We've faced things together your average couple doesn't face and came through it perfectly fine, and stronger than we were before. At the very least, you definitely did."

"Oh stop, you did too."

"My point is the only way we are going to get through any of this is by allowing the other to reach their dreams, helping each other in whatever way possible to support and make that happen, and having complete faith and trust in the other." Her discomfort softened as his words empowered her. As blunt as it seemed, he was completely correct. Statistically, it didn't always work. But it was still possible, and proving to be more and more possible as technology made things easier. Kairi relaxed her shoulders even as her insides still shook with excited possibilities and dreaded uncertainties.

"That sounds a little easier when you say it like that," she said. "There's almost no one I trust and faith in more than you, Shoto. And I know that you will do everything in your power for my happiness and my own dreams to be reached."

"When school is over and we have time... I suggest we take a breather, go on that date I should probably give you... and then I will sit down and help you begin your admission to UHA Liverpool."

"Well, there's other things that I really should do first," Kairi said. "I mean, my scores are excellent so I'm not worried there but in order to get in I will need to have passed the license exam. I mean, Aizawa said he believes I am ready now, but it's possible I'm not. If I don't pass it then the point is moot and I won't be accepted into their university anyway and I'm really just counting my ducks before they hatch so maybe we're moving a little too fast on that-"

Shoto's lips were on her, silencing her slowly spiraling thought process. His kiss soothed her, pulling her mind back into the moment of him and her, as they were in the present. He carefully pulled away, smirking proudly.

"You'll pass. I'm sure of it," he said.

"Okay then... what do we do til then?"

"We can be reach discussion of what we'll be and how we'll maintain once you've been accepted and are preparing to leave," he said against her ear. Gooseflesh once again made its appearance across her skin. Shoto took her hand, spinning her around with a dramatic flourish before catching her to place a kiss on her cheek. "Until then, my dear... we just be us. You just continue to be wonderful self, and allow me to love you as you would like me too. I'll shower you with all the attention you want, and leave you alone when you want me to. We can just enjoy being together."

"I may never want you to leave me alone," she giggled again, that blissful finding her once more.

"Oh, our relationship is still young. Just you wait," he winked. With a gentlemanly like flair, he offered her his arm. From within the halls of the ballroom, they could hear the band go harder on a heavy-paced song. Kairi gasped, recognizing its tune as a metal version of an unofficial theme song to one of her favorite TV shows of all time.

"Oh, we have to go dance to this!" She jerked at his arm, urging him forward.

"Of course," he chuckled, running alongside her. "As always, as you wish."

THE END

* * *

**Thank you all so so much for bearing with this insanely long story and humoring me! :D I truly hope you enjoyed it and had fun! It was a blast to write, and I loved seeing you get excited for it and I am so happy that it was able to give even a few people joy! Please, if you would, leave me a review of what you thought of the story since it is now complete, I would really appreciate it. There is one more update coming out yet, but that's just going to be afterword because there is some stuff I want to say and questions to answer. If you're interested, that is what the final update will be otherwise if you don't care about it feel free to ignore that last update. Otherwise you can consider this story complete. Thank you all so much for the time and love. I hope you are all staying safe out there. I love you. :)**


	93. Author's Afterword

**Soooo this story turned out to be so much more than I originally anticipated.  
**

** I already shared some of the inspiration for the story at the beginning, so I'll skip that whole bidness, but it was literally just a bunch of notes on a piece of paper I wrote on a train when I was heading back home from my friend's house after she introduced me to MHA/BnHA (I use both). But I as like "Ehh, it will take like 20 chapters maybe hit like 200 pages on my word doc, if I really try. Well 90 some chapters and 600 pages later here we are and oh BOY I do recognize that yeaaahhh there's probably some shoddy writing in it. If you look, it's probably easy to identify where "Ohhh Rose was writing this at 2 am and REALLY NEEDED TO SLEEP" and where my heart and soul plunged into it. There are issues, I will not deny it. But honestly, is there such thing as a perfect fanfiction? There isn't. I have some straight up TRASH that I have even published that I took down because it was abso-friggin AWFUL. And in 5 years, I may look on this with the same feeling but maybe I won't. There was a lot of heart and soul that I practically bled into this story, a lot of truth, and a lot of messages I tried to get across and I feel that those ring strongly and powerfully enough that I may not reach that. But eh, I guess you never know, right?**

** If you've gotten to this point, then you've probably figured out that certain issues are very important to me and I tried very hard to highlight them without seeming like I was straying away from what the heart of what MHA is and turning everyone from superheros into social justice warriors (who are heroes in their own right, but ya feel me?) I tried to touch certain, tough issues without getting too dark or deep, even though with some things I still did because honestly, My Hero Academia does tackle some TOUGH stuff as we know. **

** Yes, Kairi has many aspects of me, I don't think I hid that. But she also has aspects that aren't me. Kairi has elements and a personality that is a blend of me, my husband, and my three closest friends. Because I know myself best of course, there was probably a lot more of me in her but she also has elements I kinda wish I had too lol. This fic was born right at the tail end of some really tough stuff my husband and I were dealing with; family issues, some mental illness, a HARSH friend betrayal, losing two friends out of it, etc... it was tough. We were both dealing with abusive jobs... we've since moved past a lot of those but are still dealing with some of the pain of it all. I started this story surrounded by a lot of pain and suffering, and I put a lot of that in it. In a way, having a place I could write it all down really helped as a sort of therapy. As Kairi grew stronger and bolder and started to move into a healthier place, so did I. I planned her journey from the beginning, not knowing that her end towards healing would follow my healing. Of course I'm not healed – not sure I will ever be completely there. But I am definitely getting better as each day goes on. I think I may have mentioned before I had never seen a counselor before? Well that's changed! I am seeing someone now and it is helping!**

**Of course the relationship dynamic is different as they are both sixteen years old, but a lot of the relationship building between Kairi and Shoto is how my husband and I happened. Yeah, Shoto was the chosen romantic interest for Kairi from the get go (In general, I have been drawn to his types of characters), but part of that appeal was that Shoto's back story is kinda terrifying similar to my husband's? I mean obviously the whole super hero stuff doesn't exist and stuff and I'm not going to reveal details without his consent, but out of all the fictional characters I have seen, the combination of backstory plus Shoto's personality, plus the person we see him becoming in the anime/manga (I'm guessing, I don't read the manga) is very scarily similar to how my husband is. So much of media and society likes to spread the message that someone who has been raised in an abusive environment like Todoroki was, will end up turning out the same. Now, there are times that does happen, but there are many times when it doesn't such as the case for Shoto. Of course, there are a lot of metaphors in MHA for rejecting to become like his father and refusing to turn out the way he did, and with the exception of maybe a couple of others, I almost never saw characters like that in a show or film, especially in one as complex and designed for kids to enjoy it as well, like MHA is. In addition, you have a character who has a very similar story and I just couldn't not illustrate my own love story blossoming as reflected in Shoto and Kairi. **

** Of course, as I said they're in high school, ours started when I was fresh out of college, but there are a lot of other things that happened that occurred. (My husband will tell you he's nothing like Todoroki, because Todoroki is cool and so sure of himself and talented doesn't let things get him down and knows what he's doing but baaahhhh he's being humble and also he knows nothing about the show except what I tell him so he doesn't get to have an opinion haha). Ours occurred at work instead of school and we were close and it was that thing where like we close and then EVERYONE knew but us but like I also couldn't understand why was he being so nice to me and understanding and helping me when I was having panic attacks and what was the deal why did he stare at me so much we were just friends right? Lol yeah basically the best friends thing didn't last long and then we had a while where we didn't know what was going on, and basically a lot of this happened with us, I just changed the setting and the conversations to that of a more high school level.**

** The way Kairi's classmates responded to her mental illness and growing and learning what to do is based on how my friends have grown and learn what to do with mine, specifically my work place. I was used to working places where I was just a number, not cared about and no one took my issues seriously. Where I work now is not the most glamorous of places and I get paid very little – but I have never been surrounded by a community of people who are immediately there when me, or another coworker, or whoever are dealing with something. It has become a community, a second family more than anything and they are employees that I would invite over and be like "yeah go ahead and spend the night, if you need, don't worry about it." I just love them so much and I am so so grateful for how they accepted me as one of their own when it began to feel like no other workplace would work with the panic attacks and all of the damn issues I just seem to carry. Which brings me to the next point...**

** I never ever ever once wanted to make it seem like that "Oh just date someone and you'll heal!" Or "Just get friends and everything will be happy!" No, that's not the case. If the story came across as that I am so so sorry I obviously missed something vital and need to MASSIVELY edit it because bleeecch. I was trying to highlight the importance of healthy relationships and support groups and how they can help in the healing, but they cannot be the source of the healing. Healing needs to come from medical sources and the person actively trying to work on themselves, practice self care, and follow that medical advice. And even then it can take years and years and it can be exhausting. It's not an easy road but if it's taken it's rewarding. I'm still on that road, I am still struggling and some days I literally just want to lay on the floor and just... stay. And do nothing. And be alone with my feelings (I did it just recently and my husband asked me what I was doing and I told him it was my day to be a potato because I just couldn't anymore). Kairi's support group helped her find the strength she already had, and sometimes that's what it takes. It's kinda like how I went through and painstakingly edited this and because it's my own work and I know what it's supposed to me I can see no errors. But you look at it and you can see the typos and the bad grammar and the wrong verb subject agreement and all that funny stuff I went to school for four years to study, but you can see them plain as day. Oh this is a LONG metaphor my point is it's hard to see the things we need help on ourselves, but sometimes we need others to point them out. And even after pointing them out, we need people to encourage us and that can help to draw us out to then take initiative to work on the thing that needs to be worked. **

** Other issues were things that I felt would be things that Kairi would experience, being a celebrity and whatnot; the stalking, the media attention, being treated differently because she is a girl. And I imagine that stuff is being exhausting – not being a girl, I know that shiz is exhausting, the other stuff I just imagine is and I want nothing of it. **

** I realize that the whole ending with Kairi and Shoto being halfway across the world from each other and Todoroki being like "well tbh we maaayyy not make it as a couple" is slightly depressing but that's kind of the truth? And I know some people like to look to fanfiction as an escape and don't like to reflect real world stuff, but I don't? I mean I like certain tropes I guess, but as far as issues and things faced and messages, I like them to realistic and healthy and that's just what it is? But I also wanted a positive ending so I hope it had a very realistic and yet positive ending at the same time.**

** The story ended up really long because the process of healing takes a long time and I wanted to reflect that. And even at the end, Kairi isn't completely healed. A lot of people struggling with mental illness are never completely healed and they struggle with it their whole lives, and Kairi is no different. However, she is getting closer to healing every day and while she reaches the point of getting better faster than is probably realistic, I think it still exemplifies that it is long which was totally my intention and absolutely in no way was a result of my impulse control and my inability to write shorter stories, nope, that had nothing to do with it!**

** The techniques Shoto and Kairi's friends use are real, calming techniques for anxiety. They are ones I use and sometimes I am just too anxious or panicking to remember to do them. When that happens my friends or my husband jump in and call stuff out and it helps me.**

** Yes, unfortunately. Kairi's mother is based on a real person. No it's not my mother, my mother is lovely! But there is a person out there in my world whom I based her on. **

** Keswick is a real town in England and its adorable and I love it and I WANT TO GO BAACCCKKK. **

** Thanks to the music I had on constant repeat. There were a lot of singles and one off I had playing while I wrote this but there was a lot of Jonathan Young (What's up, Youngsters?), Within Temptation, Amaranthe, There for Tomorrow, and Citizen Soldier. Citizen Soldier was almost the theme of this entire story and gaaahhh they're so goooooddd guys!**

** I have a love-hate relationship with my own anxiety. There are things that I think it has blessed me with; It has given me a deeper propensity for empathy than I think I otherwise would have, I consider my words more and therefore and able to speak more eloquently when I talk to people, sometimes I just get this "gut feeling" about things that turn out to be right, it's help to make me wise, kind, aware, in tune to what my own body is doing... it really is a super power sometimes. And then I have other times where I feel like I'm drowning, I'm sinking, I can't breathe, I'm afraid of everything, I can't be around people, and I wish I could do away with it forever. I think anxiety carries some strengths that I amplified in Kairi, but it also has some agonizing and exhausting side effects to it that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Trust me – I wish I didn't have it. But I am proud of the good things it's given me, and I want to turn them into strengths. **

** I want to thank IdrilPuck for introducing me to the show it's become my life and I need to stop annoying people with it but I caaannn't!**

** I want to extend a thanks to my friend GeekyGirl who has been a huge help in writing this story! She's been reading it through and pointing out things that don't really work to her and suggesting things to me and just being a huge support. I love you!**

** Thank you to my husband. You will never see this because you never have time to read anymore but even so I want this to be there. Thank you to the nights you put up with me clacking away way into the night, to listening to me spout ideas and giving me feedback even though your only knowledge of the show comes from what you see on Twitter and my reactions after I watch every single episode. I do not know how you are so patient with my fangirliness but I love love love that you humor me and let me rant about why I can't stand Endeavor, why Mineta frustrates me so much, the back and forth I constantly do on my position about Bakugo – holy shit, I'm a fanatical fangirl, why'd you marry me yo?. In all seriousness I am so so thankful to you, for serving as my partner and helpmate in all things, for working as a soundboard, for being there to lift me up when I am stuck in my pit of believing I'm worthless and will never be good, for going through all my exercises when I am having a panic attack and walking me through them, for just being all around amazing. So much of my "Shoto additions" are from you and you are wonderful and I love you!**

**To my two best friends. One of you will never read this because you don't read Todoroki fics. The other has no desire for My Hero Academia at all (wwhhhyyyyy jk lol you do what you want) but you both have pieces of your personalities that occur in this story and I am so thankful to everything you do for me, from running out buying me supplies when I'm sick, to just sitting with me when I am struggle to deal with my stuff. You've both been around longer than my husband and in a lot of ways you're the reason he knows how to deal with me, lol. I cannot understand how you are so patient and adore me so much but it means the world and thank you so much for helping me fine my own strength, for not being afraid to be honest with me you guys are the greatest ever and after 20 years you're still my best friends how are you not sick of me yet? XD**

** To my other friends and my coworkers, thank you for meeting me where I'm at, thank you being so understanding and kind and becoming just another extension of my family. You really do help make my world a little brighter.**

** Thank you to my father, for instilling a love of writing in me. I know it's just a fanfiction, but I hope you'll still proud of this thing that I am proud of. I miss you. They have WiFi in Heaven right? Good, that means you've read this! :P**

** And to you. For sticking around to read this long rambling thing. Honestly, maybe you didn't stick around to read this. Maybe you cut halfway through and decided you were done. Maybe you didn't even read this because you saw the end and were like "Okay that's done no more story" in which case that's absolutely fine. But I wanted to extend a thank you for humoring me and reading this. Why did you read it? I don't even know, it's not that great lol. But I am thankful to you and how invested some of you got and your time and attention and were it not for the great love some of you poured into this, I never would have gotten this far into writing it. Please, please remember whatever battles you're facing you do have the strength and courage to fight, face, or get through it. All of the above. It might not seem like but I promise, taking it one day at a time, seeking the help you need, finding a support group – you can include me in that, I support you! - it will get better. It will take time. And there will be days when it feels like its taking too long and you don't know how it will. But I promise you, it will. I have faith and trust in you and you will get there. I love you. I am cheering you on. Please keep fighting, you're AMAZING.**

**Good LORD I like to ramble.**

**Thanks for the ride friends. It's been fun, it's been exhilarating, it's been therapeutic. I'm sad to put it down, but happy to leave it behind. I now need a much deserved break.**


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